New York, New York!
by Persephone Muse
Summary: New York City CSI working with the FBI and clashed with its new Unit Chief as they reluctantly joined forces to solve a crime.
1. Chapter 1

**Story takes place after Season 3 in Criminal Minds****.**

**.**

New York, New York! – Chapter 1

.

Emily Prentiss was sitting in Aaron Hotchner's office.

"You want me to lead the New York team?" Emily watched him.

He nodded. "I have to tell you, you were not their first choice."

"I know, they want Morgan but is he ready to lead?" She asked him.

"I wrote the recommendation…"

"No Hotch." She cut him off. "Your honest opinion."

He studied her. "No, he's not. He is too impetuous and he still lacked leadership qualities."

"And me?"

"I didn't hesitate to recommend you above him, Emily."

"Thanks, Hotch."

He nodded.

"When do they want me up there?"

Hotch nudged with his chin without looking at her, "How quick can you get there?" he handed her a folder.

"They have a case?" She leaned forward to take it from him and began reading.

"They have a skeleton crew, so you have to build your own team."

She nodded. "Great, can I steal?" She grinned at him.

Hotch stood up and came around from the desk. "No, you may not. Good luck Emily."

She held out her hand, "Thanks, I'll need all the luck I can get."

He nodded. "I'm sorry to rush you off to New York ASAP, but the case is urgent. And the team here is already in the jet waiting for me, we're heading to New Mexico now." He returned her handshake.

"They'll live and we'll get together another time. The distance between New York and Virginia is not that far so it's easy to meet up." She said as she began to walk out of his office.

"Emily, good luck to you."

Emily looked back to him, "You too Hotch…and thanks for the opportunity!"

He shook his head, "You earned it."

She nodded as she grabbed her things from her desk and looked around her; four years she'd been here in Quantico and the BAU.

She had grown quite attached to her extended family. She glanced over to Dr. Spencer Reid's desk and recalled meeting him. The nerd geek, so young yet so smart. IQ of 187, hardly any social life outside of work. His friends consisted of his co-workers. She remembered hitting a little rough patch with him in her first year she was there but that was now the past and she like it as that, the past.

Spencer Reid was now her closest friend and little brother she never had. A very overgrown little brother she had grown to love very much and became over protective. Yeah, she'd stuck her neck for him and would do it again, just like she did in Colorado in the religious group when their cover was almost blown.

She was going to miss their weekly coffee morning meet at the break room to discuss their latest argument; the Art of War by Sun Tzu. Their discussions were slow going and took over a span of months.

Maybe they could still have their discussions using other means of communications.

Then there was Derek Morgan, her other 'brother'. She smiled as she recalled his signature pearly whites and egomaniacal personality but deep down he was just a teddy bear, a real softie. She had never seen him with a woman but that didn't mean anything as he was really a private person and she respected him for that. The only two things he was soft about was his dog, Clooney and his family in Chicago whom he doted on and who doted on him in return. His mother and sisters were very dear to him as he made his yearly visit on his mother's birthday to celebrate with his sisters.

Dave Rossi, Emily smiled as she recalled the Italian profiler. Technically he was not an active agent but an advisor. He was doing a favor for the BAU but what a favor! His invaluable useful presence had been a godsend since Jason Gideon had suddenly left them on the lurch. No, he more than made up for Gideon's absence.

At first when he arrived, they had thought he was an arrogant ass but he soon grew on them as he shown them he really knew his work. His respect grew exponentially as time went.

Three times divorced, he built a reputation as a ladies' men in his younger days at the FBI that it was known he was responsible for the Bureau's fraternization policies.

Now, he was reputed to be easy going as he aged well. She smiled now as she heard the latest lightning Bureau gossip that he and Erin Strauss were in a relationship.

Emily turned around and looked next to Dave's office; Hotch. Ah! That was one that got away, so to speak.

It was no secret Emily had loved Hotch. Whether it was reciprocated was up for debate. Emily walked out to the elevator and pressed the button. She continued her thoughts; so many times she had thought he had returned her feelings, so many times she had thought they were going to have _the_ talk or something better but it never came up.

As she stepped into the car she looked into bullpen for perhaps the last time and watched the doors closed.

"Good bye BAU." She said softly. "Good bye Hotch and team."

She thought of JJ and Garcia, her girls and their many girl nights' out; she was going to miss them!

How many times Will LaMontagne and Dave Rossi or Derek Morgan had came to pick them up on the weekends when they were too drunk to drive home?

Too many! And the hangovers…they were worth every moment of it as well.

JJ and her darts tournament, as well as her hustling, the men at the bar were not aware she was a shark and a pro at darts; the money won paid for their drinks for the entire night.

Emily, on the other hand, proved to be useful in attracting and distracting the poor men who were foolish to think they could fool a group of women into betting on darts or pool, which Em was a pro at too.

Garcia was the weak point….too weak to play darts or pool but an expert at being a damsel in distress for the weaker nerds who think they were too smart for her but at the last minute she pounced on them mercilessly with her computer skills and ate those men alive.

They were ruthless when they were out having 'fun'. The local bars knew them well soon. The bartenders loved them as they provided lots of fun for them.

As Emily took a cab heading for the airport, she looked up at the Hoover building moving behind her; again…maybe for the last time.

Her future lay in New York. Another new chapter in her career path.

She received a text from Hotch; Strauss had given her an interim promotion to SSAIC! Now she held the same rank as Hotch.

_Congratulations, Emily._

She smiled as she texted her thanks to him.

She sat back in the cab and thought of things that needed to be done;

She would have to come back when this case was over; her apartment had to be let; her things had to be moved to New York. She would be taking her cat with her, of course.

…..

Five hours later, she arrived in the Big Apple; it was crowded, very crowded as she fought her way through the throngs in the airport. Luckily, she didn't have any baggage, so she was able to obtain a rental car and left the airport in a fair amount of time.

As she was not expected that day, Emily decided to head to the first of three crime scenes to get a feel of the case; 3 murders in two days, all Caucasian females in their 20s with no known wounds except they were found nude in three different parts of Central Park. The women were all brunette and blue-eyed.

When Emily arrived in Central Park, she began to walk towards the Southern part of the Park sand saw the area was cordoned off with its trademark police yellow tape around a wooden bench.

Walking around the area, she looked around and began to reference the file Hotch had given her.

"Annabeth Gilles, 22 years old, Med student. Found dead…two days ago by a transient…" Emily mumbled as she looked on. She looked at the close up pictures of her hands and feet which were bare and found nothing significant.

Emily then moved on Eastward of the Park and looked at the bench.

She repeated this process one more time; the third one was at the Northern part of the Park.

Not seeing anything special, she decided to call the Medical Examiner's Office and asked to see the bodies.

"_Dr. Sid Hammerback, how can I help you?"_

"Yeah, My name is Emily Prentiss, Supervisory Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, I've just transferred to the New York section and am working on the current case of the 3 white Central Park females. May I come over and take a look at the bodies, Dr. Hammerback?"

There was a pause.

"Hello?" Emily said.

"_Okay…FBI, you said?"_

"Yes, is there a problem?" She asked.

"_Oh no...Just that you guys are pretty fast in responding …I wasn't expecting you to be here already, that's all."_

"So, may I come over to your place to look at the bodies?" Emily repeated her request.

What is wrong with this man? She wondered.

"_Come on over! Yes. Do you know where we're at?"_

"Um, I think I have a pretty good idea." She read out the address.

"_That is correct! And we're right at the basement, of course, I'm sure you figure it out as they always put the dead bodies in the basement."_ He laughed.

Emily frowned at the man and wondered if he had been in the basement far too long. "Okay, Dr. Hammerback, I'll see you in about an hour."

"_Oh, call me Sid, everyone calls me that, and since you're going to be here for the duration, I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot of you. The ME office is quite a busy place."He laughed at his own joke._

"Thank you, and please it's Emily."

"_Great, Emily! I'll see you in a bit!"_

Emily tucked her phone back in her pocket and drove on to the building.

As she neared the big building, she saw that it was a combination of crime lab as well as the ME.

As she drove around for a parking space, she almost ran into a man who was walking on street instead of the sidewalk!

"Shit!" She stuck her head out and yelled out, "Hey! How about watching out where you going buddy!" she stuck her middle finger at him as well. "Stay on the sidewalk and get off the cell phone!"

The dark haired man stared angrily at her as he lowered his cell phone, "Why don't YOU watch yourself! Damn tourist!" he turned away and walked hurriedly into the building.

"Ass hole…" Emily muttered as she parallel parked her car before she got out and went into the same building the man had gone into as well.

As she walked towards to catch the elevator, she saw the angry man inside.

"Hold the door, please!" Emily waved at him.

But the man grinned maliciously at her and waved back as the door closed altogether on her.

"Oh no he didn't! What an ass!" Emily muttered as she pressed the button angrily and waited.

It was another five minute wait before the elevator came and she was able to get inside and went took it to the basement.

When she arrived, she looked about her and saw that the ME area was quite the state of the art.

The walls were mostly clear glass, and with the doors clearly marked Medical Examiner, Emily pushed the doors opened and entered.

She looked waited for someone to acknowledge her as she stood and watch an autopsy being performed.

Further down a room she saw a man in his fifties on a computer overlooking a body and talking to someone who was hidden behind a wall.

"Can we help you?" A man in a lab coat walked up to her.

Emily showed him her credentials and asked to see Dr. Sid Hammerback.

The man nodded and pointed to the fifties-something man on the computer.

Emily nodded her thanks and walked towards the direction indicated.

"Dr. Hammerback? Sid? Hi, I'm Emily from the FBI?"

Sid looked up and grinned, "Ah, Emily! I see you made it! Before you see your DBs, come meet our crime lab investigator supervisor, Detective Mac Taylor." He indicated behind Emily.

She nodded and turned around and met face to face with the mean man earlier...

"YOU!" They exclaimed at each other.

…

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to all for the wonderful reviews! glad you like this story! and thanks to all who add this to your fav/alert/ add to your story!**

New York, New York! – Chapter 2

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"I see you two have met!' Sid exclaimed cheerfully as he put his readers away.

"No Sid, I haven't." Mac Taylor said as he continued to stare at Emily.

"Me neither."She replied, her gaze never removed from his.

"Oh, well then, Mac Taylor, Emily Prentiss, Emily Prentiss, Mac Taylor. Now, you've met each other." Sid waved at each other as he grinned.

Emily held out her hand as Mac took hers to shake it. "Pleasure." She said.

"The pleasure is...mine."He said hesitantly.

"Oh Mac," Sid continued. "Emily is the new FBI Unit Chief here in the NY building. She's replacing Kate Joyner who… well, you know."

Mac Taylor nodded, "I'm sorry about her passing." He said to Emily.

Emily nodded, "Thank you, I don't know her well but I hope I can do a better job. Um, about earlier, the rude finger gesture…I'm sorry, it's just that…what's with you people about walking in the streets? Do you all have a death wish or something?" she asked.

Mac arched his brow at her, "It's a busy place all around and we avoid the tourists so we get out of the regular sidewalks. You'll get use to it eventually." He suddenly broke into a smile surprising Emily.

Emily smiled back, "I guess it's something I'll have to get use to it."

"Actually in Mac's case," Sid interrupted as he looked at him in concern. "He has a special reason for being a little bit angry."

"Sid!" Mac warned him.

"Look Mac, we need all the help we can get in your case."Sid said. He turned back to Emily. "Mac's got a stalker."

Emily looked at Mac with an arched gaze, "Oh? What kind of stalker?"

"A female, she'd call him and suggests all kinds of meeting ups and sometimes threatens him. She would want to meet up with him but had never happened but if she did, Mac had never seen her."

"And you thought I might be her and you didn't wait up for me at the elevator…?" Emily said.

Mac nodded. "I didn't know if she was armed or not. I didn't want to be alone with her yet."

Emily nodded.

"I'm sorry if I was rude earlier…I was on the phone with her and one of my tech was tracking her call."

"Any success?"

Mac shook his head, "It was a disposal phone traced to California."

"I'm sorry. Det. Taylor. I guess I didn't help either?" Emily said.

"It doesn't matter. We'll catch her." But Emily saw he didn't sound convinced at his own admission. Changing the subject he looked at her, "So, why is FBI doing here with my case?" Mac asked her.

"Your case, Det. Taylor?" Emily asked. "Three women in two days, I'd say that warrant an FBI take-over."

Mac shook his head, "Oh no, I don't think so, it is still my case and I still have jurisdiction here in my town and my lab. I can have you bodily removed." He was leaning close to her.

Emily, unafraid, leaned closed to him until they were almost nose to nose, "No, Det. Taylor. You will not. As of this moment, the FBI is in charge now."

"Emily? Emily Prentiss? What are you doing here?"

Emily looked away from Mac and to her left and saw to her surprise a former FBI agent standing next to Sid.

"Jo? Jo Danville?"Emily called out in surprise as she moved to hug her. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm working here now, Emily!" Jo smiled back happily.

Emily nodded, "I see, as a…?"

"A crime lab detective, just like Mac here." She nudged with her chin over to where Mac was standing watching them. "He's my supervisor and a darn good one."

Emily stopped smiling as she turned to him, "That remains to be seen." She muttered.

"Uh oh…something the matter?" Jo asked.

Emily quickly explained to her the dilemma.

Jo nodded, "Well, how about a compromise and work together? I mean we're not really pursuing any other case right now…right Mac?" She looked over to Mac for confirmation.

Mac looked at Jo for a moment and then nodded, "I guess we can work together if Agent Prentiss is agreeable." Mac said.

Emily walked up to him, "I'm agreeable for now."

Jo and Sid exchanged frowns, "Hey, they started like that when they saw each other. I don't know what happened." Sid said to Jo.

"Do you two know each other before?" Jo asked them.

"NO!" they answered her at the same time. Then they relaxed their stance nodded.

"Hey Mac…I found sometime in the blood trace on the first vic…er…is this a bad time?" Lindsey Monroe-Messer walked into the ME room holding a tablet and paused when she saw Emily's presence.

Mac nodded his head, "It's okay, This is Agent Prentiss from the FBI, we're working jointly, right?" Emily nodded.

Lindsey nodded, "First vic, Annabeth Gilles was given the date rape drug GHB but this one is a new one, more like a hybrid with twice the amount of benzodiazepines compound mixed with less alcohol to give it a more high effect."

"Was it injected or taken orally?"Emily asked her.

"Um, injected but we almost missed it as it was located where her left pinky and third finger joined." She moved to the body and removed the cloth and lifted the hand and showed them the puncture mark, there was a very small bruised mark.

"The dark bruise mark didn't show until posthumously." Emily took out the photos of the dead woman and looked over them.

"They usually are, blood levity and organs began to degrade after 24 hours."Mac pointed out.

"I'm well aware of that medical fact, Det. Taylor but thanks for the Mortuary lessons 101." Emily nodded, "I knew that."

Mac stood up and eyed her but didn't say anything.

"Anything else?" Emily and Mac asked at the same time to Lindsey.

Lindsey looked at them awkwardly as she shook her head.

"What about the other two vics?" Emily asked as she turned to watch Mac.

"Um, yeah, they have the same syringe marks. It looks like this is his preferred wound site." Lindsey confirmed.

"Looks like we have a serial killer," Emily nodded. "He's going to strike again, and put his next vic in the West bench."

"You're sure about that?" Mac asked her.

Emily looked at him, "Pretty sure, I'm asking for help as I don't have enough resource to do surveillance."

"Neither do I if I don't have substantial proof. I'm not going to waste my manpower."

"Why not?"

"It's too obvious. He'll know we're going to be watching him."

Emily huffed in frustration, "I can't believe you're not going to have anybody…" She bit her lip from continuing. "Anything else?"

Lindsey shook her head, "I'm heading back to the lab and some peace …now. It's nice knowing you, Agent Prentiss." She nodded at Emily before quickly exited the lab.

"I think I'd better get to my office too, since there's nothing else here, Sid?" Emily glanced to the ME.

Sid shook his head and grinned. "Not at the moment."

"I'll show you the way out," Jo offered.

"It's nice knowing you, Sid…Det. Taylor." Emily nodded at them.

Mac nodded at her politely before he turned to another direction and left.

"You have some time to check out the crime lab upstairs, Emily?" Jo offered.

Emily shrugged, "Why not? They're not expecting me anyways. How are you?"

They walked out of the lab and to the elevator, as they catch up on their FBI days.

.

"Nice pad." She looked about her and saw Mac sitting in his office as their office walls were clear glasses. "How do you stand it?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Jo looked up at Emily as she sat behind her desk.

Emily spread her arms wide, "The clear glass! Everyone can see inside and you can see out, no privacy! I don't think I can do it."

"I know, it took me a while to get use to it too. But you get adjusted and learned to ignore what's going on out there." She jerked her chin indicating the hallways as the crime lab staff members walk about, each deep in their work.

Emily sat down on the guest chair and looked out to downtown as she admired the scenery.

"Who's the scenery in Jo's office?' Flack asked as he leaned casually against Mac's office door.

Mac glanced over and shook his head, "You don't want to touch that, Don. That's FBI new Unit Chief and she's bad news all the way."

"Uh oh, looks like the great Mac Taylor had met his match!"

Mac gave him a dark stare, "Don't even start that. She is not worth it."

Flack grinned wider, "Oh, I smell a good wrestling match going on! I wonder if she is single?" He rubbed his hands together as he straightened from the door frame and sauntered along the hallways towards Jo's office. Mac watched him surreptitiously as he walked into her office and introduced himself to Emily and began chatting as if they were the best of friends.

"Watch out, Don or she might eat you whole!" Mac muttered under his breath.

"Either you're talking to the supposedly hidden bug in your office or your laptop can converse with you, if the latter I want one too. If the former, you can keep it." Danny grinned as he stood by the doorway.

Mac glared at him, "Don't I get some private time to myself anymore? What you got, Danny?"

He shook his head, "The Central Park case; No outside fingerprints, nada, zilch, nothing on all three vics. Aside from the dirt under their fingernails, they are clean as whistle."

Mac sighed.

They looked up when they heard laughter, Lindsey was in there now and being animated.

Danny grinned, "Who's the dark and pretty one, besides my wife?"

"No you too, Danny." Mac explained to him about Emily Prentiss and her presence.

Danny looked at Mac, "You okay, Mac? Did you and her went a few rounds already?"

Mac gave him an arched look and replied, "It's a long story, but the short version, she's FBI and we're working on the Central Park case."

"Where did she come from?"

Mac shrugged, "Quantico. I think." He began to type on his laptop and then shook his head. "Come here, Danny…take a look at this."

Danny moved into Mac's office and walked around his desk and looked at the screen and began reading.

"Holy shit…Mac…this is not fun and games…BAU…."

He straightened up and glance over to Jo's office and looked back at Mac and continued, "Hey, didn't we have that Homeland terrorist incident here a month ago?"

Mac nodded, "The one that killed 8 terrorist and a federal agent."

Danny nodded, "I guess she's the replacement Fed."

"She's it and she has a big headache accompany with her. The Mayor has chewed me a new one on this case and he wants instant result and a miracle. I hope she's able to handle him" Mac tapped at the screen and continued, "And they sent a profiler it as well, great." He shook his head.

"I sure don't need her to get in my head," Danny said. "I'm going back to the lab, they can have their fun in there," Danny looked up at Jo's office again. "I'm going to warn Linds to stay out of that Fed's way from now onwards. Later Mac" Danny walked out of Mac's office shaking his head, going to the opposite direction.

"Maybe you should warn the whole lab to keep them away from her." Mac muttered as he glanced over at Jo's office but saw to his surprise Jo was the only occupant. He looked about the hallways and saw her and Flack walking towards the elevators but as they passed his office, Flack gave a shout out, "Hey Mac, I'm heading out, Emily's going to the FBI building, see you later." He gave him a casual salute before walking on, Emily didn't even look at him at all as she was already at the elevator.

"This is nothing but bad news," Mac shook his head. "No, I take it back, she's bad news and I'm in deep trouble and I'm taking Danny's advice; stay away from her…far, far away."

.

…

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

New York, New York! – Chapter 3

.

Emily entered her new Unit office in the New York building and saw what Hotch said was true!

Skeleton crew couldn't even begin to start…

Over a month ago; when they were here to help the late SSA Kate Joyner, there were a full crew of FBI agents in the office of over 20.

Now, three and they looked as if they came out of …high school?

They were sitting in front of a laptop and sharing a bag of Nacho cheesy chips and one was typing with his fingers full of cheesy dusty residual from the chips….urgh! If Garcia saw this, she would scream and shoot them instantly!

Emily walked behind them and watched what they were looking at;

"…Oh…look…that man is going to eaten!"

"No man, Arnold does not die, the hero of the movie! Infrared, dude. That alien is a serious mutherfucker!"

Emily raised her brow.

"Jesse Ventura is tryin' to look bad ass in his role, best stick to being a Governor!"

"Oh..oh…here comes the alien…I'm glad this is fiction and aliens do exist in real life."

"Oh, aliens exist…illegal aliens!" They all laughed as they threw the Nachos chips all over each other.

Emily had enough of this when she walked around them and pulled the USB cord from the laptop.

"What the fuc…!" They looked up and stared at her angrily. "What do you think you're doing? And who the hell are you?"

"Emily Prentiss," She greeted them as she dropped the cord on the ground and slammed the laptop down. "I'm your new Unit Chief. Unless you want to transfer out of here, be my guess. The door is behind me."

They didn't move as they remained standing.

She continued, "If you do, I'm not going to be giving you a glowing recommendations what with eating snacks and watching 'Predators' on the job. In case you're not aware, there are cameras all around you as proof." They looked up but grinned.

"They don't work." One of them spoke up.

"Why not?" Emily asked.

"Stanley." They said at the same time.

"Stanley?"

"Stan the Man!" They nodded.

"Okay, who is Stanley…and if you give me one word replies, I won't hesitate to shoot you. I don't have time to talk to one-year olds at the moment." To emphasize her threat, she removed her gun from her holster.

Their faces paled immediately as they began to talk at the same time.

Emily shook her head as she couldn't understand them and she put two fingers in her lips and gave a loud piercing whistle, they stopped talking at once and stared at her.

"One at a time," She look at the young Latino man to her right, "You, your name and tell me who this great Stanley is."

"My name is Roberto Gonzalez, I've been with the bureau for five months. I really like it here, Agent Prentiss. Er…Stanley Goldman is the Unit technical computer analysis. He has been here for three years, and he knows everything about computer. He took down the surveillance systems off line."

Emily arched her brow at him. "Does he know it's a violation of FBI policy?"

Roberto shrugged, "He said it's okay to do it, no one would find out."

"What about your pirated movie?" She asked.

"How did you know?"

"Trust me…Netflix? It's a monthly paid media online streaming. I know you young agents are too cheap to pay for a montly subscriptions, am I right?" They nodded. "Let me guess. Stanley the man, pirated it for you in exchange to shut your mouths?" They nodded guiltily.

Before she could asked another question, a man weighing about 300 lbs carrying a plastic sack came walking by and entered into a glass enclosed room and shut the door and lowered the blinds.

Emily watched the whole scene in surprise.

"Agent Prentiss?" The young lady in the middle spoke up. Emily turned to look at her. "That's Stanley."

Emily glance at her watch, it was after 2pm. "Did he just come back from lunch?"

She shook her head, "Uh, no, he just came to work, ma'am."

Emily looked at her, "What?"

"Stanley works at a computer repair shop in the mornings and comes here the rest of the afternoons." She told her.

"How long does he stay here?"

"A few hours, from 2 to 5."

"How long has this been going on?"

"As long as we've been here."

"Um…actually," The third men of the group spoke up said. "He said that he had been doing it since he started here, was pretty proud to brag about it."

"And how long is that, do you know?" Emily asked him.

He shrugged, "I've been here for over 3 years so it's got to be more than that."

Emily nodded and thought for a moment, "What's his full name?"

"Stanley Goldman."

Emily pulled out her phone and began pressed the number to Garcia's office.

_You have reached the Divine office of the Goddess of Knowing Everything and All things and in another words…the Oracle Delphi._

Emily grinned, "Hello oh Delphi, how are you?"

_Emily! You jumped ship! But you jumped to a good ship and congratulations! _

"Thanks PG! Hey, can you do me a favor?"

_Of course! For you, new Unit Chief. Just name it!_

"Can you check in our employment records a Stanley Goldman, he's a computer analysis here in New York, I need to know how long he's employed and the hours he logged in total. Can you fax them here….uh..in my office…" she looked about her, and looked at one of the agents, "Where is my office?"

They pointed at a corner to her right. She walked to the darkened office.

"Hang on…"She opened the door and turned on the light and walked to the machine and looked for the number and began to read it to Garcia.

_Give me a few minutes, what's this about?_

"Long story short, a conflict of interest in employment. He apparently has two jobs."

_Oh…well, I don't see it. He works from 8-5 Monday to Friday. No sick days taken. Very stellar employee._

"Huh!"Emily snorted. "Search his SSN. He has another job as a computer repair man."

_Roger that, double employment, very entrepreneur our man Stanley. Smart but he's about to get his ass busted by our Emily!_ Garcia laughed

"He doesn't know half of it." She said as she looked out from her office at the three agents who were still standing in shock.

"How's the team?" Emily asked.

_Oh, still in New Mexico, fighting the heat and bad serial murderer, and oh…Morgan is on a war path._

Emily stopped smiling, "Oh? Why is that?"

_Well, when he found out you took the job, he was not happy, so now he and Hotch are clashing all over again._ Garcia sighed. _He really needs to grow up._

"Oh, so I shouldn't be talking to him for a while."

_Yup. Not for a while, maybe until he simmers down or until Hotch shakes some sense in him._

"That will take some time, PG. And really, I don't blame him as I did take his job from under his nose."

_Em, he was not ready for it to begin with_.

"PG, you were not ready to let him go yourself, come on, tell the truth." Emily grinned.

_I hate you guys._

Emily chuckled, "You love your dark chocolates."

_Yup, I'm afraid so._ She agreed. _Okay…Oh dear, Our man Stan's last three income tax return made him one of the richest computer tech of our time. Emily, what the hell are you going to do?_

"Oh, I'm going to do a lot, first, Internal Affairs is coming over to pay Stan a visit, second, Stan the Man will be paying lots of restitution back to Uncle Sam if he doesn't want to go to jail."

Garcia began to laugh out loud, _Oh Em, you're the Man! I mean the woman! I've got to hand it to you, pity I'm not there to watch it._

"Speaking of watching, the fool cut the surveillance feed altogether."

_No, he didn't! Em, that's a FBI violotion._

"Tell me about it, and he told my three agents it's okay. And they accepted his explanation!"

_He is in such a heap of trouble!_

"I own his ass now, either that he goes to San Quentin's."

_Ouch…well, Em….I gotta…Big papa is calling._

Emily chuckle, "Tell Hotch I said hey, bye PG, and thanks!"

_No probs, my lovely All my love to you_. Garcia disconnected the line.

Emily looked at the fax paper and shook her head before she called Internal Affairs and appraised them of the situation.

Then she left her office and stood before Stan's closed office and knocked on his door.

"I told you not to bother me while I'm in here!" Stan yelled from within.

"Stanly Goldman, this is Unit Chief Emily Prentiss, open this door right away or I'll shoot it open."

No answer.

Emily turned to look at her three new agents who shrugged.

"Stanley, one more chance, open the door right now!"

"I said don't bother me!"

Emily shrugged and turned to grab a chair behind her and picking it high above her, she smashed it against the glass door and it shattered!

The three agents winced hard as they watched in shock and looked in and saw an equally shock Stan who was sitting behind his computers.

His glasses were askewed as he stared opened mouth at her, "Wha…?"

"I did ask you to open the damn door, Stan. And don't you ever lock it ever again during business hours again, do you understand?"

"Who the hell are you?" he asked her again.

"Emily Prentiss, I'm your new Unit Chief. Well, that's to be seen. First off, you're under investigation with Internal Affairs who will be around shortly to have a nice chat with you about your working hours and your second job and before you try to deny anything, I have all your records you try to defraud the government of your work hours." She waved the fax papers in his face. "The IRS has been informed and they have launched an investigation on your income tax return for your pass five years of your employment."

He was still in shock.

"Here are some options, Stan. If you still want to work…honest work. You'll have to quit that computer repair job and come work for me here from 8 to 5, Monday to Friday. And I want to see you here every day on the clock. If you're late one second, Agent Gonzalez will escort you to the police station and they will in turn send you to San Quentin for fraud and fraud to commit to tax evasion and I don't have to tell you how long you will be in there for and the fella at San Quentin love big boys like you for their fuck toy." She said blandly.

Stanley nodded shakingly. "I….I…want to come back."

"But you'll be working for me pro bono. For free."

"For fr…free?" he said, his eyes widened.

"Oh yes! Stan…pay back time."

Stan nodded, "Fine, Agent Prentiss…you got it."

"But you still got to talk to IA."

His shoulders sagged and nodded, "What about the IRS?"

"We'll see what IA says first? Deal?"

He nodded resignedly, "Deal."

Emily grinned.

"Agent Prentiss?"

She turned around and saw two men standing before her holding their credentials.

"Ah, Internal Affairs," She pointed to Stanley, "That's your man over there."

They looked at the shattered glasses on the ground, "What happened?"

"Oh, don't mind that, we had a problem opening the door…the lock was jammed."

They looked at her dubiously and then nodded and stood in front of Stanley.

"There's a room they can talk, Agent Prentiss." One of her three agents pointed to another room to her left.

Emily nodded and approached to the two IA agents and spoke to them briefly about their deal and then showed them to the room and left them alone.

She turned to her three agents and said, "Okay, you three, come with me."

She walked to her office and entered and sat behind the desk.

They stood before her.

She dug around for a note pad and finding one began writing Roberto's name.

"Okay, before I begin. I have a case going on currently. I need agents. But I'm not going to waste my time now until I know for certain on something. Are you three staying or leaving?" She looked at them individually. "I appreciate honesty."

Roberto nodded, "I'm in."

The female nodded, "I'm in. My name in Jacey Gibson, but everyone calls me JG."

Emily wrote her name down. And looked at her, "JG it is."

She looked at the third agent who thought for a while.

"Oh what the heck, count me in too, Shelby Hunneycutt."

Emily grinned, "Huneycutt?"

"I know…I get tease a lot. So Shell will be fine."

Emily nodded, "Shell sounds better." She said as she wrote his name on the pad. "Welcome to the new Unit, guys."

She stood up and looked around, "I need a clear board?"

JG nodded, "I know where one is at, and some dry erasers too. Be right back."

In a few minutes, she was rolling a large transparent board outside Emily's office as they came out.

Emily removed the pictures from the folders and began sticking them on the dry eraser board and brief to them about what she knew and their co-operation with the NYPD.

"Mac Taylor?" Shell asked.

"Yeah, you know him?"Emily asked.

"Not really, I heard he's nice but he's really by the book, no nonsense kind of guy. He put away a bunch of corrupt cops last year."

Emily nodded, "That's good to know but that doesn't mean anything in my books if he gets in my way."

"Oh…sounds like he met our Unit Chief and something bad happened?" JG grinned.

Emily glared at her, "Don't read into it too much, Miss Nosy." They laughed. "He's rude and …well obnoxiously know-it all."

The guys laughed as they bumped fists, "Boss does not like Mac Taylor! Oh, man…looks like it's going to be an interesting case!"

"Hey!" Emily exclaimed. "This is work! You're just like a bunch of gossipy old women!"

Suddenly, her cell phone buzzed, she frowned as she saw that it was from the New York police department.

"Prentiss."

_Hey, Emily? This is Don Flack from NYPD, you told me to call you if we have another vic. Well, we have a fourth vic._

"Let me guess, in Central Park, Westside?" Emily said.

Flack laughed, _It's a good thing I didn't bet with you but you're right. I'll see you?_

Emily grinned, "You betcha."

She pocketed her cell phone and nodded to her agents, "Okay, fourth vic…I'm hopping over there. Bob, you're with me. JG and Shell get on the 'net and find out about the vics jobs or in first vic's case, she's a med student. Check on her social life…She's bound to have Twitter, Facebook and those thingy!" Emily began to walk towards the elevators as Roberto or Bob followed her.

…..

End of Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

New York, New York! – Chapter 4

.

When Emily and her new agent, Roberto Gonzalez arrived at the latest crime scene, there were a half a dozen police cars and crime lab vehicles as well as the ME vehicle. Emily showed the police her credentials before she walked further into the park in a brisk pace.

She immediately scanned for Det. Mac Taylor; she wanted to give him a piece of her mind for going against her recommendation but Det. Don Flack was standing before her as if bracing himself as a shield between them.

"I know what you're going to say, Emily."

"No you don't, Flack." She said. "Where is he?"

He turned to look down at a bench, then turned back to her, "He's looking under for evidence."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Well, he is under the bench looking for evidence," Flack gestured with his thumb behind him. Emily peeked around Flack and all she saw was a pair of men's black shoes stick from under the park bench.

"Is he under there?" She asked.

He nodded.

She turned back to look at him and then turned to look at her agent, "Bob, go and canvas around the area, and start interview …uh…anyone who found the victim."

Her agent nodded and moved away.

"New agent?" Don grinned?"Still looks pretty green around the gills."

Emily glared at him, "At least he's willing to work, most of the agents have jumped ship; it's almost like a ghost town on my floor. I have two other remaining agents left back at the building." She explained as they walked towards where the bench was, the latest dead body was still lying on the bench.

Mac was squatting next to it. "Glad to see you, Agent Prentiss." He greeted her.

"Likewise, Det. Taylor."

He held out a gloved hand, "I guess I owe you an apology."

She arched a brow at him.

"Mac?" Flack grinned. "Apologizing?"

Mac straightening and glared at Flack, "Don't you have police work to do?"

Flack chuckled as he nodded.

"Then get lost, Don." Mac waved him off.

Flack shook his head, "I'm going, I know when I'm the third wheel, see you guys."

Emily nodded as she watched Flack walked away from them.

"Don't mind him…but I need you to come see this, Agent Prentiss." Mac gestured.

"Look, if we're to work jointly, how about we shed our titles? It's Emily." She offered an olive branch.

Mac nodded, "Mac," he said.

Emily smiled and nodded, "There, harmless. Now what's this you've got?"

Mac beckoned and knelt down on a plastic tarp he had placed beneath the bench and shone a flashlight under the bench, "Tell me what do you see?"

Emily had to kneel close beside him and contorted herself and turned to look up above her and saw something that was stuck between the wooden bench slates.

"Got any gloves? And tweezers?" She asked him as he handed her a pair of latex and tweezers. "And could you shine the light closer and up?"

He handed her the requested item as he leaned in close to her, until he was practically on top of her now.

"Okay, it's wedged pretty tight but I think I got it…yup!" she pulled out and showed it to Mac.

"Looks like an engagement ring."

Mac held the ring in his gloved hand as he twirled around it; it was a single diamond ring.

She nodded as she looked up at him in an awkward angle.

"Well, this has got to be the fastest and strangest position to propose, Mac. Couldn't you find a more romantic place than under a bench here in Central Park?" Sid chuckled as he came into their view.

"Smile you two!" Danny snapped a picture of them with his evidence camera. "Aw! So romantic, I have to say, I thought I was romantic when I proposed to Linds but Mac!" Danny grinned and shook his head and walked hurriedly away.

"You will strangle him, after you destroy that picture, won't you?" Emily said as she tried to move but Mac was still in her way and he frowned after Danny. "Um, Mac? Please, before anyone else thinks otherwise?"

Mac nodded and hurriedly moved off and helped her up as he bagged the ring into the evidence bag. "Sorry, I'll get Danny to delete the photo."

Emily nodded. "By the way, I don't think this is our fourth vic."

"Yeah, that's my thought too, she's dressed." Then he turned to Sid who was standing next to him. "What's the TOD, Sid?"

The ME looked at the thermometer he had inserted into the victim's liver and glanced at the digital readout and nodded, "Time of death is about five hours ago, Mac. Pretty recent." He began to check between her fingers for the signature syringe mark and didn't see anything, he shook his head, "This is not the works of our serial killer. No syringe mark."

"Great. Just great. We have another new murder on our hands." Mac frowned angrily. He turned to Emily who was looking around the area and was squatting near a hedge and using a pen and sifted about the dirt and then stood up as she lifted up a black and torn bow tie and showed it to Mac.

He came over to her with another evidence bag and bagged it. "You're making us look bad?"

She shook her head, "Not at all, Mac. I want to solve this case before the Mayor…" her phone buzzed and she pulled her phone out and saw that it was the Mayor of New York on the line.

She showed Mac the Caller ID and muttered; "Speak of the devil."

She turned away from Mac and answered the phone, preparing herself for an ass-chewing.

Ten minutes she turned back and saw Mac was still standing there and she grinned at him, "Your turn, " and soon, his cell phone rang; it was the Mayor of NY.

He grinned at her as he answered the phone call, "Mr. Mayor."

Ten minutes later, he was off the phone.

"I see you survive." She grinned.

Mac shook his head, "I'm glad you find this amusing. He wants to see us both tomorrow in his office."

Emily nodded, "Yeah, so he could yell again, I guess he likes to do that a lot."

"You have no idea. It's his favorite past time."

She began to look around the area.

"You lost something?"

"Yeah, my agent…I send him to canvas and interview and that's a while ago. Oh! There he is…chatting to that old lady, I'll see you, Mac." She nodded at him before she left and headed off to Agent Gonzalez.

"….So you didn't see anything, ma'am?" he asked the old lady.

"Er? Speak up…can't hear you?" The old woman leaned in closer to him.

Gonzalez leaned away from her, wrinkling his nose. 'Um, okay….I'm done…good night. Ma'am….You can go now!" He almost yelled at her.

She nodded and walked shakily away from Agent Gonzalez.

He shook his head, "Old girl really needs to get some hearing aid and a walker…and shower once in a while, phew!" he waved his hands over his face a couple of times to dispel the odor.

Emily gave her a cursory glance before she turned her attention back to him, "Anything useful?"

He shook his head as he consulted his notebook, "Nothing, nobody saw anything suspicious."

Emily arched her brow, "As big as this place, nobody saw anything, how strange or nobody wants to talk to a Fed? Did you identify yourself as a Federal Agent?"

He nodded, "Of course."

Emily closed her eyes and shook her head and held out her hand. "Just stop right there. I'll be back.

He frowned at her.

She walked away from him and doubled back and began to talk to a few bystanders who were watching the crime scene.

Half an hour later, she walked up to Gonzalez and said to him, "Okay, two people said they saw a couple sitting on that bench and began a verbal argument. Soon it escalated into a physical altercation and the male strangled the female." She nodded at him. Emily gave him the look as she went to look for Mac. Her two witnesses followed behind her.

"Oh." He blushed.

Emily went over to Mac and told him what she found out with her interview and introduced her witnesses to him who then directed them to regular policemen who took down their statements.

"You're a regular Joan of Arc or something like that." Mac said.

"Then how come I can't figure our case?" She shook her head.

"Well, maybe tonight, I'll post a couple of cops here to keep an eye out." Mac offered.

Emily nodded. "Thanks. It's a start." They then heard a strange gurgling noise.

"What is that?" Mac began to look about him.

She chuckled, "That would be my stomach, I haven't eaten since breakfast in Virginia."

He smiled, "Then, I think we better get you something then."

"We?"

He nodded. "If you don't mind the company, I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast here in New York."

She laughed at his bland humor, "Funny. But I accept. If you know a good Italian eatery."

He arched a brow at her, "Are you kidding me? Here in New York City? Just walk anywhere, there's an Italian restaurant in almost every corner."

"Oh yeah, my bad." She shook her head. "But let me release my agent for the night or he'll be here all night. I'll meet you back here."

He nodded as he disposed his latex and put his kit away.

It was almost closing time when they entered the business establishment of Mac's old friend Giancarlo Ribisi's Mamma Mia's Spaghettis. They saw that they were the only ones to patronize the establishment.

"Mac! Mac Taylor!" Giancarlo greeted him fondly as he pecked on both his cheeks and a tight hug. "It's been…what? Over two months? Since you've been here?" He admonished the young man. "You promised to take my Carmen to the movies and dancing but she has been waiting since then! You breaking her heart, you swine!" He glared at him.

Emily grinned as she observed the portly restaurant owner's accusing looks

"Carlo, you know I have work to do?" Mac blushed. "I have been really busy."

Emily arched a brow seeing the stoic detective rendered embarrassed.

Then Giancarlo noticed Emily's presence and turned back to Mac and became even more incensed, "Then who is she?" in his heavy Italian accent.

Mac shook his head, "She just work with me, Carlo, not what you think."

Emily came forward to introduce herself and spoke in Italian.

Giancarlo, eyes opened and smiling wide began to chat rapidly back to her in his native tongue.

Mac was grinning as he found a chair and sat.

The owner was in his element as he was gesturing wildly with both hands, a couple of times Mac had to duck to avoid being hit by him.

Finally, about ten minutes of Italian rapid spitfire and hearty laughter, he began to call out loudly to his daughter, "Carmen! Get your lazy arse in here!"

"I'm coming, Papa, I'm coming…I thought we're closing?" A young heavy-set woman came shuffling her feet with a fresh basket of bread and set down where Mac, Emily and Giancarlo had sat down.

"No, Carman, this is my good friend Mac Taylor and Emily! Go get some Spaghetti and Meat balls! My beloved daughter!" He said cheerfully. "You have never eaten anything like my special meatballs!" He said heartily.

Mac and Emily exchanged amusing looks as Mac leaned close to Emily and whispered to her, "He has been trying to push his daughter to every available man that comes in here. We don't take him seriously at all."

Emily giggled as she nodded.

Mac then straightened and cleared his throat, "It's the truth, Carlo here is famous for his meatballs." Giancarlo puffed his chest out proudly as they munched on the breadsticks.

"Okay, I'll take your word for it. I'm starving and I can eat a whole house right now."

Mac and Carlo laughed together, "Oh, my dear," Carlo shook his head proudly. "This meatsa balls. You can eat maybe one or two the most. Most people cannot finish them, right Mac?"

Mac shook his head, "That's right. I have not been able to eat more than two of his meatballs, they are huge."

Emily's eyes widened, "That much?"

They nodded together again.

Carmen finally came with two heaping plates of Spaghetti and meatballs.

She sat one in front of Emily who eyed three giant meat balls the size of soft ball each!

"Bon appétit!" Giancarlo said cheerfully as he poured some red wine for them and left them and headed off to the kitchen.

"Big portion, huh?" Mac chuckled as he began to eat.

Emily nodded as she picked her fork and spoon and dug in with gusto!

Taking the first bite and began chewing the hot pasta and meat, "Oh my god!" She closed her eyes and savored the flavor. "That is the best spaghetti I've ever tasted! Even better than in Italy!"

"You've been to Italy?" Mac asked as he chewed his food.

She nodded and they began to talk about travelling and countries they had visited while they ate.

An hour later, when Giancarlo came back to check on them and to his surprise, he saw that not just Mac but Emily as well, they had both finished their Spaghetti and all three giant meatballs!

"Oh my mamma!" Giancarlo held his hand to his heart, "I have never seen anybody finished my meatsaballs!"

Mac glanced at his plate in surprise and smiled at Emily, "Well, I guess I was starving after all!"

She grinned, "That makes two of us. Thank you, Giancarlo, it was _delizioso!"_

"_Grazie!Mio Caro!"_ He then picked up Emily's hand and kissed her knuckles.

She giggled at his gallant gestures.

"Okay, you old flirt!" Mac chuckled.

Giancarlo shrugged elaborately, "Hey, _bellasima_ Emily enjoys my food and you said you're just acquaintances. I might make her my wife number 3!"

Emily widened her eyes and started to laugh, "Uh, no, no Giancarlo! I'm not worthy to marry you!"

Mac stood up, "I think we better leave or he's going to really propose to you on his knees. Carlo, it's a wonderful dinner, as usual, Grazie!" He hugged his friend affectionately.

Carlo shook his head and laughed, "Not a problem Mac! But don't be a stranger!"

Emily went to him and gave him a hug and kissed him on his cheeks. "Grazie, signor, it was a great dinner."

He nodded his head, "It was my pleasure, _bella_ but you also come back and visit old Carlo, hear?"

She nodded, "Of course, now I know where to get your famous Mamma mia's spaghetti!"

He nodded gratefully. 'Ciao! Good night you two!" He waved to them with his white cloth fondly as Mac led Emily out of the restaurant.

As they left, Emily looked at Mac, "Hey, we forgot to pay him!" She stopped walking.

Mac shook his head, "No need, my treat."

"But …I didn't…?"

He grinned and said, "I owned half the restaurant with Carlo."

Emily smiled, "Oh….well, in that case, thank you Mac! It was great food. You sure know how to feed a gal."

"You're welcome…" He was interrupted by his phone. He pulled it out of his pocket and frowned when he saw the Caller ID.

"Taylor." He said brusquely.

_What are you doing with that whore?_

"Hello?" Mac asked again. "Who are you? Tell me your name again, quit hiding behind the phone and reveal yourself."

_I saw you tonight, you were flirting with that FBI whore, you're mine Mac Taylor._

"Look, I'm getting tired of your threats and frankly they are not amusing and I'm not finding you attractive anymore. If you want to meet me face to face and we'll talk. Otherwise, quit calling me." Mac then pressed 'End' on his cell phone.

"Your stalker?"

He looked at Emily and nodded, "She knows who you're."

Emily looked startled. "Me?"

"Yeah, she called you the FBI whore…sorry." He apologized.

She shrugged, "I've been called worst."

He arched a brow at her.

"So, where can I drop you off?" Mac offered.

Emily looked around, "Oh, the nearest decent hotel but first I need clothes and well, things."

"Clothes? Did the airport lose your luggage?"

"Er, no, I came from Quantico like this," She pointed at herself. "Didn't have time to pack. My boss…well, former boss said it was urgent. So I rushed to get here this morning."

"Well, I know FBI are known to be tenacious but this is going slightly over board to not let you pack."

"Well, I usually have a go bag…it's a travelling bag that we have with us for a few days but it's in New Mexico with my now former BAU team." She said with a chagrinned look.

Mac shook his head. "Look, I'll show you to a local pharmacy and its nearby, it has um…neccessities…but as far as clothing. I don't think there's a 24hr ladies' place around here."

Emily grinned, "That's all I need, and I think I can make a go at another day on these outfit. Hey, we've done a few days' stake outs before where we have no breaks."

Mac nodded, "I know what you mean, same goes when I was in the military," he pointed to where the building was and they began to walk as well as he began to tell her about his they combat days in the jungles in Vietnam.

…..

End of Chapter 4


	5. Chapter 5

New York, New York! – Chapter 5

.

At 855am, Emily and Mac were standing before the Mayor of New York.

The tall slim man was in a foul mood as he glared from beneath his heavy brow.

"Mr. Mayor, I see you're a patron of the fine arts of the youths. You must know my mother…she is also a patron and a contributor for the Museum." Emily was pointing at the paintings that were displayed in his office.

"Your mother?" He asked sourly.

"Er, yeah…Elizabeth Prentiss…"

The Mayor's demeanor changed from sour to surprise, "Your mother is the Ambassador?" She nodded. He then stood up and came around his massive desk and smiled, "Well, why didn't I make the connection!" He turned his gaze at Mac and smiled, "Did you know I knew her mother, the Elizabeth Prentiss?" Mac shook his head. "Well, I did, Mac! A hell of a woman! Very impressive too, she knows her art, that woman! How is she?" He asked Emily.

"Oh, mother? She is doing great! She is currently in Albania." Emily grinned.

The Mayor smacked Emily's back hard causing her to jerk forward as she glanced over to Mac who grinned at her.

"Well, if you see her, give her my regards, will you?"

"Oh, I sure will. And I recall she mentioned about making another contribution to the New York of Fine Arts later this month when they run their promotions, Mr. Mayor."

He nodded happily, "Well, I look forward to it, that is very generous of your mother to do so, very generous."

She nodded. "You know mother, she loves arts and she supports the artists."

He nodded too.

They looked up when his secretary came in and pointed at her watch and he nodded.

"Well, we must get together again and chat more, Emily. But I have a speech to give at an Elementary School…Art day, cute kids!" He nodded at them. "Oh…and just get that case solve." He nodded at them and turned away from them as he picked up his jacket, dismissing them.

Emily and Mac nodded and left quickly.

As soon as they left the building, they sighed with relieved and started laughing.

"Did you just profile him?" Mack asked her.

She grinned. "It worked, at least he didn't yell at us."

He nodded, "Which is a first, I got to hand it to you." Emily nodded.

"You didn't… by any chance?" He asked her.

"No, Mac. Professional courtesy." She then looked at him peripherally.

He arched his brows at her skeptically.

She grinned as she changed the subject quickly, "Wait till my mother sees the bill. I hate to use her name but desperate measure calls for drastic times." She waved her hands all over. "He was in a bad mood and we would have been still standing there."

"That's some expensive profiling." He began to laugh and shook his head as they walked away from the Mayor's building when Mac's phone rang.

"Taylor."

_I hope you're having fun laughing with your whore!_

Mac frowned, "Not you again, look..."

_NO, you look, Mac! You belong to me! Not that FBI whore!_

"Hey, she is not a whore. I'd appreciate it if you stop calling her that. I'm hanging up on you if you call her names again. Deal?"

The line was dead.

Mac pressed 'End' and closed hid phone before pocketing his phone and looked around him.

"Your stalker again?" Emily asked.

He nodded.

"She's gotta be somewhere close by to know what we're doing."

He nodded. "The trouble is I don't know who she is or what she looks like. She is smart though, we can't get a lock on her cell."

"I bet I can get someone to work on this who can get a trace faster." She smiled. "Next time she calls again, try to engage her longer than half a minute."

He nodded, "I'll try but she never stays longer than a minute."

"Try?" She urged him.

He glanced at her closely but before he could answer both their phones were ringing and buzzing.

"This can't be good," Emily said as she pulled hers and answered it as Mac did on his.

It was Agent Gibson, "Boss….that was NYPD…they found a body in Central Park, in the middle of the Park, in the lake."

Emily nodded, "I'm with Det. Taylor at the moment at the Mayor's office and meet me at the park and have Gonzalez and Shell work the board. Is Stan there?"

"Oh, yes, at the dot, boss." Emily could hear her grinned.

"Okay, get me Stan."

"This is Stan." The portly man's voice came on.

"Stan, this is Emily, glad to hear from you." She said.

"Er…me too, boss. IA has agreed to let me work it out if I work with them. Thank you Agent Prentiss for giving me this chance." He said.

Emily shook her head, "No problem, Stan but listen I need you to do me this favor. How good are you with your computer tracking skills?"

He chuckled, "Please, boss….you're kiddin' me?"

"Well, I don't know but I'm about to test you. Here's a set of numbers. This is being stalked. No one can tell where it's coming from when the caller calls. Each time its less than a minute. The trace bounces all over the US. So how about it? Are you up for a little cyber hunting?"

Stan was laughing, "Cyber tracking is my middle name, boss. I'll not let you down."

"We'll see. Prentiss out." She ended the call.

She glanced over to where Mac was waiting for her, "A squad car is on the way to pick us up."

She nodded and told her what she had Stan doing for his cell phone.

"Ah the perks of having a friend in the FBI," he tease her.

She arched her brow, "Hey, when we catch her…I want a freebie dinner at Giancarlo's Spaghetti and those ginormous meatballs."

He laughed, "You got it, all you can eat, I'll even throw in the breadsticks."

She grinned, "Deal."

"If you can get her off my back, I'll gladly feed you for the rest of my life."

She stopped smiling and looked at him, "You will?"

He paused and turned to look at her, "Yeah, why? Is it something wrong?"

She shook her head, "No…no, it's just …nothing."

Just then the NYPD squad car pulled over and stopped in front of them and they hopped in.

20 minutes later, at the park Sid was in his galoshes as he and his assistant was pulling out the dead body out of the water.

Emily was talking to her agent as she sent her to talk to the bystanders.

Lindsey and Jo were kneeling next to the wet and naked body as Sic was checking her.

"Ah, I love it when we work so diligently together!" The ME said cheerfully.

"I'd love it if he'd drowned in that dark and nasty water with the DB." Lindsey gave Sid a dark look as she continued her work.

"I gather Lucy did not get a full night's sleep?" Jo smiled; Lucy was their one year old daughter.

"She's got the flu."

"Oh, that poor child," Jo sympathized.

"Danny's with her right now, lucky him." Lindsey continued her tirade.

Jo chuckled as she shook her head.

"She's been here in the water since yesterday 6pm." Sid informed them.

"That's about the same time we were here!" Emily remarked.

Mac nodded. "I wonder the incident last night interrupted our serial killer's intention so he decided to dump her into the water?"

Emily shrugged "Could be." She walked closer to the victim's body and knelt down and looked at the roots of her hair and opening her eyes with her latex finger tips, "Hey…look at her eyes."

Jo leaned in and using her fingers she extracted something out of the victim's eye, it was a contact lens or to be precise, blue-colored contact lens.

"Good work Emily."

"Look at this Jo, her hair color…it's not true blonde either. It's a dye job." Emily said as she stood up.

"What's your idea? I know you, Em." Jo narrowed her gaze at her.

Emily arched her brow. "I think our killer is a photographer of some sort…the vics are probably models at some point. He is photographing blondes with blue eyes for something."

Jo chuckled, "Bingo! I knew you'd get it, profiler. I'll get Adam to check on the internet to start off."

"How did you come to this conclusion?" Mac was standing next to her suddenly.

She looked up at him, "They're faces are flawless and they all weigh no more than 110 lbs and they have model heights."

"So why kill them?" Mac asked again.

"That…I don't know yet." She shrugged. "The date rape drugs are not strong enough to kill them unless they are too anorexic and the dosage was too strong for them."

Her agent, JG, came back and was standing aside waiting to talk to her.

Emily walked to her, "What do you have, JG?"

"Not much except that that homeless dude said he was awakened by some stinky stench an when he opened his eyes, he saw an old lady pushing a shopping cart with a black cover over it and a leg sticking out of the cart. I have to tell you, Agent Prentiss, that bum was three sheets to the wind anyways, so he's not much credible at all." She shook her head.

"Did he describe the old lady?"

JG shook her head, "I didn't ask him."

"Show me where he is." Emily asked her.

They walked over to the bum but he was gone already.

"What the hell?" JG looked about her, "He was really drunk and couldn't have walk out of here by himself?"

Emily saw something as she removed her gun from her holster, "Go get the police …hurry," she said softly as she pointed with the barrel of her Glock downwards.

JG saw blood splatter as she nodded and ran off as Emily began following the blood spots.

She looked up and saw it was leading to a secluded and darken area of the park and looked back, where are the others?

Nearby she saw something lying by a path but it was too dark to see and she didn't have a flash light.

She then heard footsteps and almost panicked as she pointed her gun at the sound.

It was Mac and JG.

She almost shot them! As she sighed with relief.

Mac eyed her as he saw her intent but held his tongue; being alone in the dim part of the park and a lone female could make anyone nervous, he understood her nervousness.

"What do you have?"

"I think we have something." She pointed at the darkened object, "Do you have a flashlight?"

Mac looked at her as they walked to the object she indicated, "Really Agent Prentiss, no gloves, now no flashlight? Do we have to report you to your superior?"

"Don't start, Mac." Emily shook her head.

JG made a strangled noise. They turned to her, "Something the matter JG?" Emily asked her.

She shook her head as she reddened, "Oh no…just that's…the bum I talked to earlier."

She pointed at the body lying on the ground.

"That's your bum?" Emily pointed at him.

"Well…he's not mine…but I…interviewed him a while ago…like about twenty minutes ago…man that's fast."JG began to look around as she stepped back.

"JG, I think he's gone by now," she tried to calm her down.

JG shook her head as she stare at the dead and bloody man, "I talked to him…he t…talked…Oh...my..."She turned around and bent over and began to throw up.

Emily turned from her and looked at Mac who shook his head.

"He was so close to us. Damn!" He called his team their position, then he bent down and inspected the body.

"This is likely to shut him up."Emily said. "He must have seen something and the killer killed him."

Mac nodded. "Drunk or not, he would have witnessed something vital."

She went up to JG, "You okay?"

The young agent nodded as she wiped her mouth, "Sorry boss. Kind of embarrassing…been in the force for 6 years before the academy and I still toss my cookies…" she shook her head.

"It gets the better of us but can you stay with the bum? I hear the crime team coming over, Mac and I are going to try to pursue deeper, maybe he's still hanging around."

JG nodded, "Yea, I'm good now."

Emily turned to join with Mac and together they moved into the darkened paths as Mac shone the flashlight in, "Not afraid of the dark, are you Agent Prentiss?"

"Not at all, I have the bad ass Mac Taylor to back me up." She grinned as they walked ahead.

Mac had already called on his phone to inform his team of their intentions.

_Be safe guys_; Jo told them.

…..

End of Chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

New York, New York! – Chapter 6

.

Flashlight in one hand, gun in the other, Mac Taylor led Emily Prentiss into the deepest and darkest part of Central Park, New York.

She was not afraid, not entirely as she trusted Mac. She knew he was a good cop; a damn good and honest one to boot.

She had read his file and saw his numerous commendations and not only that, his lost; his late wife, Claire who was lost in the most tragic and meaningless of disaster of all times. And the worst thing of all, he had no body to bury. No closure for Mac Taylor in that chapter of his life but yet, he managed to come to work every day and did his job to the fullest.

Emily glanced over to him briefly and saw his concentration in hunting for their serial killer.

"Tell me, Emily." He suddenly spoke up without looking at, startling her. "What do you think of this serial killer?"

She turned her attention ahead of her as they walked into the dense woods, the trees were more thicker and closer together with moss and lichen growing all over the trunks, on the floor was old, thick and damp leaves, making walking a little difficult as they shuffled their way.

"He is probably in his late 20s to mid 30s, Caucasian." She began.

He nodded. "To better blend with the models he is seeking?"

She nodded too, "Yes. More convincing." They looked about them but it was quite dark which impaired their vision, Mac's flashlight was a little help as he shone them around.

Mac's phone rang startling them both as he answered it quickly.

"Taylor."

_Mac…it's Adam._

"What do you have Adam?" He glanced over to Emily to make sure he had her in his sight.

_Mac, I found a website online…it's a pretty cool site, and I didn't know about it until you mention about it_….

"Adam, how about you tell me what you find?" He arched his brow; his lab technician tended to rambled and lost focused on the main point. Many times Mac had to rein him back into the present.

_Oh, yeah…sorry Mac. Yeah, this site, Found the four dead vics but they were not dead at the time until the all last four photographs and he had them posed with a bum, all the models appeared dead already. Mac, it's the same bum throughout in the whole series of his collection. I'm going to send them to you."_

"Do that, Adam. Do you have the name of the photographer?" Mac asked him while he waved Emily over to him.

_Oh yes…Twitter here's a picture of him …Richard Penrose, what do you know? He's a blonde too, I bet he has blue eyes too but he has a rich buyer. There is an account to buy these pictures. Jo and Lindsey are on their way to talk to that buyer._

"Good, I'll talk to you guys. Good job, Adam."

_Thanks Mac…hey...that FBI chick, she single? Any chance…_

"Bye Adam." Mac pressed the 'End' button as he shook his head.

"What's going on?"

Mac began scrolling in his phone and shared the images with Emily, "Adam found these on the website, look familiar?"

Emily looked at them as she nodded, "Yeah, our vic and our bum…who's Adam?" She glanced up at him.

"My lab technician who thinks he's God's gift to women but …" Mac shook his head as he closed his eyes for emphasis.

"Ah! Who's this?" She pointed at an image on Mac's phone.

He opened his eyes and looked down and chuckled, "That is Adam, apparently he is shopping for ex-girlfriend number 22 or is it 23?" It was a photo he had just taken with a phone number included to call him.

"Nice crew you have there." Emily said as she chuckled.

"They are the best," he nodded. "I…" Suddenly something very big and black was coming towards them as Mac quickly grabbed Emily and wrapped his hands around her and was about to push them down when she also saw the big dark object and lost her footing and they fell backwards and tumbled down hills onto a long slope.

Down…down and down they went as they rolled around as Mac held onto Emily tightly to him as Emily felt something sharp jammed into her left shoulder blade as they continued to tumble downwards.

As fast as they went, they came to a stop finally as Emily started to giggle.

Mac looked at her curiously, "I don't see how this is funny unless the tumble had knocked your head a lot more than I thought."

As she slowed her giggle, "I'm sorry, Mac…all of a sudden that Nursery rhyme 'Jack and Jill' suddenly came to my head. Now I know how Jill feels tumbling down the hill. What was that, Jack?" Emily giggled.

Mack smiled, "Aside from a few rocks penetrating through my spleen as we came down, I think I survived…Jill and believe it or not, that was an owl…something must have spooked it."

She winced suddenly as she moved, "Ouch! I think I felt your rock but it's not in my spleen, something is stuck in the back of my shoulder. Damn! That hurts!"

Emily still in his arms pulled her closer to him as he peeked over her shoulder and widened his eyes, "Er…Emily…it's not a rock…I think we found the murder weapon."

She pulled slightly away from him as she look up at him, "What are you talking about?"

"The bloody knife is sticking out from your shoulder blade."

"Oooh, that's not good, Mac, that's evidence." She winced again as she tried to move.

"Tell me about it but…Oof! What..!" Mac was cut off.

"Ssh!" Emily suddenly pulled Mac tightly toward Emily, almost suffocating him in her very close embrace.

"Emil, this no time for…" he tried to struggle out from her folds.

"Sh...stop Mac…saw movement behind the tree, there's somebody behind us." She whispered in his ear.

He couldn't see what she was looking as he was facing the other way as all he could see was the handle of the knife and her blood spreading on her white shirt.

"How far is the tree?" he whispered into her ear.

"About fifteen feet." She said softly. "My gun is between us."

He nodded slightly, feeling the hard pressure of her hand and her gun between them.

"I think I can get to him," he suggested.

"No, you'll spook him.

She began to move slowly bringing it around over his shoulder.

"Are you sure it's him?"

"Looks blonde from here, like the picture posted."

Raising her voice and her gun over Mac's shoulder, "Richard Penrose! This is the FBI! Put your hands up! You're under arrest!"

But instead of doing as she said, he began to run…

"Why do they always run?" She said as she began to fire her gun twice as Richard went down as well as Mac who ducked at the loud noise.

Mac turned around immediately when she stopped as he looked over and saw their killer was lying down, he was no longer moving, he then turned back to Emily, "You okay?"

"Oh yeah…Never been better, I just have a damn knife sticking from the back of me and I…"

He shook his head as he suddenly pulled her head to him and kissed her in her soundly.

Emily's eyes widened for a moment before they softened before she closed them and surrendered to his kisses.

"Do you always talk this much?" He asked her a while later when he released her for some much needed breath.'

Emily opened her eyes and nodded shyly but frowned as she gritted her teeth a moment later.

"Ah, shit…" he sat up and grabbed his phone from the ground he had dropped and called his team as well as an ambulance.

Emily tried to sit up but Mac pushed her back and shook his head, "No, don't move, you're making it worse." He was concerned as blood was steadily seeping out as he pressed against the wound.

She hissed fiercely at him.

"Sorry. It must have hit an artery, it's not stopping and I can't pull it out." He lay her on his thigh as he kept a tight pressure on the wound.

"I understand." She nodded. Mac looked up and around, there was still no sign of any rescue crew.

"I'm sorry, Emily, your shirt…" He began to turn her slightly and unbuttoned it quickly and stripped her out of them and ripped it out of the stab wound and used it to soak the blood.

"Glad I had on a decent bra, Mother always tell me to always wear a clean pair of bra…" She tried to joke as she began to feel weak as Mac kept pressure on the completely blood soaked shirt as she lay on his thighs, his pants were now also soaked with her blood.

Her eyes closing she smiled weakly as she held onto his hand.

He gripped onto her tightly, "Hey…open your eyes…don't close them, that's an order."

She grinned weakly, "You…are …not…my ….boss…"

"No, Emily! Stay with me! Open them! Come on! Hey! Look! Remember, we're going to Giancarlo for his meatballs! Come on...aren't you hungry?"

He gave her a light shake.

She opened her eyes briefly, "Hungry….yeah, meat balls…C…co…cold…Mac." She closed her eyes again.

The CSI team finally arrived as they ran out of their vehicles as Mac waved them over, his hands bloodied as Emily lay deathly still on him.

The paramedics working on her ….Mac refusing to leave her side, not that anyone tried to argue with him….

….

_Okay, okay…hey get off my back, mamma!_

_Oh, of course, you say that now. After she almost…again…_

_Come on guys…you're not gonna let me off the hook, are you?_

_NO!_

_What? Why not?_

_Because you, Derek Morgan, are a selfish jerk!_

_I agree with you, my sister!_

_JJ! Come on, you're always on my side._

_Not in this. You are a jerk, Derek. Emily did the right thing and all you did was pout like a kid. Henry doesn't even do that._

_Ouch!_

_Not you, kid!_

_Hey Morgan…you were being a…_

_Okay guys…that's enough. I think he's suffered enough. And he did apologized._

_Come on Hotch. You're gonna give in so easily?_

_Hotch and I go a long ways guy._

_I wouldn't go that far, Derek._

_Ouch!_

_Burn!_

_*Laughter*_

"Can…I ….talk…now….?" Emily's raspy voice called out weakly from the bed.

All at once six faces came her view on both sides.

"Em! You're awake!" Garcia exclaimed. "You gave us such a fright, honey!"

"How are you feeling?" JJ asked.

Emily smiled slowly, "Like I've been stabbed. What are you doing here guys and did we get the killers?"

They laughed at her.

"What's so funny?"Emily frowned.

"Emily," Dave Rossi grinned. "That case's been solved over five days ago."

"What about you guys?"

"Flew straight from New Mexico, made a special trip when we got news from NYPD…Det. Mac Taylor...nice guy." Dave said.

Emily blushed slightly, "Yeah he is." Then it dawned on her…"Five days!" She opened her eyes wider and tried to sit up but winced hard as several pairs of hands restrained her.

"Whoa!"

"Look, I have to get back to work…my team…"

"Emily, they are fine. You have a great team, short but great team." Hotch's dimples deepened as he smiled at her. "Great job, Unit Chief Prentiss."

They all nodded and grinned.

"Wow, thanks…Hotch." She said softly.

"Hotch?" Dave shook his head. "You two are the same rank now, I think you can call him Aaron, right?" He looked at Hotch who nodded.

Emily nodded, "Yeah but…he's always Hotch to me, more personal than Aaron."

"Ahem! I think you've overstayed your allotted15 minutes. The patient needs her rest. Out!" The nurse stretched her arm, indicating the doorway sternly.

"Aw! Already!"

"Okay…we have to get back home." Dave began to usher them out as he quickly reached over and pecked Emily's cheek and waved her goodbye, "Get well, cara!"

"Bye Dave…"

The BAU team began to kiss her cheek affectionately but hurriedly as they fled from the nurse who still glared at them as she watched them filed out of the room.

"Thanks for coming all the way from New Mexico…guys…bye." Emily said tearfully.

Lastly, Hotch looked at her as he said, "Hey I'm going send a few more agents down …up your way if you want?"

"That would be great…I need a few more, Hotch. Thanks."

"Not a problem."

The nurse cleared her throat again as she glared fiercely at him.

Hotch leaned very close to Emily as he whispered to her, "I think if she's armed, she won't hesitate to shoot me. Get well quick, Em." He then quickly kissed her on her lips before he hurried out of the door without looking back.

The nurse arched a brow at her as she smiled before closing the door.

Emily shook her head slightly and smiled, "Didn't know there was this side of you, Hotch." She leaned back on the pillow exhausted as she closed her eyes.

…..

That evening, when Emily opened her eyes again, she began to laugh until tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Hey…can't have that..It's supposed to cheer you up not make you cry." Mac's soft voice came from her left."

Emily smiled as she turned to his voice, "Hi."

He smiled as she found him sitting next to her by the hospital bed. "Hi." He leaned over and kissed her softly on her lips.

"Is this your doing?" She asked when he straightened but held her hand.

There were white daisies all over her room, every surface possible was occupied by vases of white daisies.

"Actually it was a joint effort from your BAU team and me," he owned up shyly. "A Dave Rossi insisted on doing this while Penelope Garcia suggested strenuously that one or two vases were not enough." He shook his head and chuckled. "I can see why you're eager to get out of there."

Emily smiled, "You know that is not true, Mac. They have their great qualities."

He softened at her and nodded, "I'm teasing, Emily." He squeezed her hand gently..

She nodded, "Yeah, I know. This is wonderful but where am I going to put them when I get discharged? I'm still at the hotel…craps…I just remember…I don't think I have a room anymore."

"Hey…it's taken care of. If you don't mind…I have a guest room, and I don't think you're capable of taking care of yourself for the next week or so …so how about it?"

She grinned, "If you don't mind a moocher?"

He shook his head, "I'll be sure to charge you rent."

"Deal."

But before her discharge, her three agents, and surprisingly, Stanley, came to visit her while she was still at the hospital.

"Hey boss!" Gonzalez greeted her cheerfully.

Shell looked about him but not finding any room he decided to placed the vase of flowers onto the floor near her bed.

Emily, who was sitting up at the moment, smiled her thanks and greeted them.

"Thanks you guys."

They grinned back, "Stan bought the flowers, boss." JG said.

"When are you getting out, boss? I mean not that we are hurrying you and all but…" Shell blushed as he couldn't finish his sentence.

"Hopefully tomorrow but it'll be light duty for a week or so. Aw, you guys miss me?" Emily teased him as he blushed deeper.

"Actually we do, word is we're getting three more agents from Quantico." JG frowned.

Emily looked at her, "What's wrong, JG? I did ask for more agents from my former boss."

JG shook her head, "Oh, nothing. I guess I got used to our small unit."

"I understand but I do need a bigger crew, bigger resource. New York City is a bigger place and eventually I'd need to expand more agents but three more agents to start with will do for now, and especially now, I'm not able to work the field for at least a few weeks, it's going to stretch you guys." Emily explained.

JG nodded as she shrugged, "So boss, where are you staying when you're discharged?"

"Oh, I'm staying at Mac's until I'm well to move around on my own." JG stiffened slightly when Emily explained to them.

"Oh, all right." JG shrugged again.

Bob then stood up awkwardly and announced to the others, "Okay we need to get back to work. Take care boss. We'll see you sometime." He nodded and walked out.

Shell and JG did the same

Stan was about to walk out when Emily stopped him, "Stan…a moment."

JG paused but Shell pushed her as they kept walking.

"Closed the door, Stan." Emily said.

Stan nodded as he did as she asked and came to her.

"What did you find out in your hunt?" She asked.

He shook his head, "Nothing. It had gone cold as soon as that case closed."

Emily frowned, "Really? I wonder if it's related."

Stan shrugged, "It might be. I mean there's no weird bouncing at all since then for the past several days, all phone calls are within the state."

"I don't believe it…will you keep it open?" She asked him.

"Oh yeah, it's no problem. I have it online on one of my computer and it's not in the way."

"Okay…and if you…could you keep this between just the two of us only?" She said.

He frowned, "Yeah…okay. Is this legit?"

She gave him an exasperated look, "Stan, come on..use your brains besides those pork rinds and Yoo-hoos…"

"How did…?"

She grinned, "You talking to a former profiler, Stan, we don't stop, just because I'm lying here…and speaking of profiling. I need of more thing from you and this is strictly confidential."

He nodded again as she to explain to him what she needed from him.

"You cannot do this in front of them, understand?"

He nodded nervously.

"Okay…don't get caught, Stan. Good luck."

He nodded again and waving to her he left her room.

Emily got out of the bed and began to move about the room.

"Hey!" She turned around quickly and sighed with relieved, her heart thumping rapidly as she realized it was Don Flack, standing by the doorway, grinning. Emily gripped her chest as she glared at him, "I almost had a heart attack, Flack! Thanks!"

He walked into the room and sat down on the bed, "You're welcome. By the way, Mac sent me here to tell you to stay in bed, and I see he was right." He chuckled as he picked up his phone and pressed a number.

"What are you doing?" She tried to grab the phone from him as she saw his intention, "Are you ratting on me? Give me that!"

He pulled the phone from her reach easily as he was a whole foot taller than she was, and she was bore foot.

"Flack!"! She yelled at him but he was not paying any attention to her. She looked around the room and all there were about the room was the flowers….

Emily grabbed a handful of daisies and threw them at him which he easily dodged them as well. Soon, there were daisies strewn all over the bed.

"Mac…yeah…Just like you said. Caught her out of bed." He said cheerfully as another batch of daisies rained on him. "And she's abusing your flowers." He handed her the phone.

She sat on the bed by him as she grabbed the phone from him, "Hi…I'm sitting on the bed now." She stuck her tongue at Flack. "No, I'm not sticking my tongue at your best friend." She frowned at the phone and looked up at Flack who had picked up one of the Daisies and began plucking one petal at a time "…Emily loves Mac…Mac loves Emily…Emily loves Mac…"

She giggled as she turned away from Flack, "You have a very immature friend," she told him as she laughed.

She then turned and frowned, "How did you know he's plucking the petals….?" She turned around again and saw Don was gone and that she was alone in the room, "Flack?"

…

End of Chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

New York, New York! – Chapter 7

.

"Flack?" Emily opened the door and almost walked into the chest of Mac!

"No…it's me…unless you want him back." Mac leaned backwards and looked down the hallways. "He is busy talking with the nurses in the nurse station."

Emily grabbed onto Mac's jacket lapel for balance as Mac held onto her arm, "You okay?"

She nodded, "For a moment, I thought something had happened to Flack."

Mac chuckled, "Don?" He shook his head. "Don't worry about him, Emily. He is a tough one. He can take care of himself. Wish you'd show some concern for me."

Emily smile, "Are you jealous, Mac?" He led her back to her bed.

He gave her an arched look, "I'm not now or never will be jealous of Don Flack."

She sighed, "Ah well, I tried."

"Tried what?"

"To make you jealous." He tucked her in as he covered her to her neck with the blanket.

He chuckled, "Not with Don. He's a player and he's never serious."

"Who's never serious?" Flack asked suddenly appearing from behind Mac.

Mac gave Emily an exasperated look as she giggled while they held hands.

"Can't I have a private moment with Emily?" He turned to look at him.

Flack looked sheepishly at him, "Sorry but got a call."

Mac sighed. "I have to go."

Emily nodded, "Perks of being a detective of the NYPD."

"Is that sarcasm?" Mac leaned down and kissed her gently and long on her lips.

"Okay…Mac, we have to go." Flack peeked around them but Mac had blocked his view fortunately. "Mac? Emily? Come on…dead body? Crime to solve? How about this…Responsibility?"

No answer.

"Aw, Com on man!" Flack shook his head. "I'm walking out now…Mac, you know you rode with me here. So you have to ride with me to the crime scene, so we have to go. Let's go!" He shook his head as he left them.

"…I don't believe it….The great Mac Taylor!" he exclaimed out loud as he made his way out of the hospital ward as he continued his solo speech, "Acting like some love-sick fool!" he turned around and faced the room. "COME ON, MAC TAYLOR!" he yelled.

A nurse looked over at Flack sternly and admonished him to keep his voice down.

Flack put his hands on his hips as he began to argue with her.

In the room, Emily finally pushed Mac away as she smiled, "You better go before he has kids." Mac squeezed her hand one final time before he let her go and walked out and Emily laughed as she heard the two talking loudly along the hallways as their voices soon faded.

She shook her head as lay back down on the pillow.

Tomorrow, she would be released! Discharge! And she'd be staying at Mac's. She wondered what it'd be like living with him; she had never lived with a man before, well not counting Ian Doyle; he was different. Not wanting to think about him she shook her head to erase that unpleasant memory. Ian Doyle was dead. Coming to New York City was a new chapter of her life. A life she hoped now included Mac Taylor.

…..

The next day, with discharge papers and painkillers in hand Emily waited for Mac, and waited.

Two hours later still no sign of him; Emily decided to take a cab. Not knowing where he lived she decided to go to the Crime Lab.

As she entered the floor, she saw that the main lab area was busy as the staff were milling about in their lab coats and tablets at their work area that no one noticed her presence.

Entering Mac's office, she sat her go bag down by the couch and sat down as she looked about his things.

Surprisingly, the trip from the hospital to here had worn her down as she lay down on the comfy couch and promptly fell asleep.

_I can't believe the hospital let her walked out of there alone!_

_Mac, calm down…I think she's all right._

_Calm down? Jo, she don't know this town well and she's not 100% well._

_Mac! We look everywhere…well, Giancarlo says he hadn't seen her either._

_I should have gone to the hospital earlier…_

_It's not your fault, Mac, we had a lead and we had to follow._

_I should have call ahead at the hospital to tell her to stay till I get there!_

_Damn!_

_Easy Mac!_

_Where the hell could she have gone? It's past 7 and it's dark…anything can happen…_

_Calm…_

_Danny, tell me that one more time and I'll shoot you!_

_Okay, okay…man! I'm going back out and comb the area…_

Emily forced opened her heavy eyelids finally as she sat up and stretched her right arm as her left side was in a sling.

She then stood up and turned around to see several pair of stunned eyes staring back at her.

"Um…Hi guys…?" She stepped out of Mac's office and smiled at them.

Suddenly, Mac's team dispersed in a hurry as they disappeared into their various offices.

All of them except for Mac Taylor who was standing in the middle of the hall way of the Crime Lab, looking as if he was about to go 20 rounds on the boxing ring. His eyes were angry.

Without a word he walked into his office and sat behind his desk, his head down as he began working on a file.

Emily walked back in and stood before him in front of his desk, "Did I do something wrong, Mac?"

Without looking up at her, he said, "Where have you been?"

"Here, Well, I waited for you at the hospital for over two hours and you didn't come, so I took a cab and came here because I don't know where you lived. I fell asleep on the couch…Mac? What is going on?"

He finally looked up at her, and she saw how awful he looked, "I went to the hospital to pick you up and you were not there…needless to say I became worried, very worried." He raked his hand over his hair.

Emily shook her head, "I'm sorry Mac, I didn't mean to put you through the wringer but my cell and everything else were lost in the woods that day and I had no way of getting a hold of you. The cabbie was nice enough to let me ride for free."

Mac looked at her, "A free ride? How did you…never mind…I don't want to know. I've found out that you're not human at all and you have some sort of spell over people. First my team, then the Mayor, me, now the cab driver. Are you a witch or something?" He had stood up and came around to stand in front of her, gathering her to him as he leaned against the back of his desk.

Emily smiled as wide as she willingly let him pulled her to him, glad that he was not angry with him anymore.

"I wish I'm a witch or I wouldn't get hurt so easily." She dropped her head down as she rested her forehead on his shoulder. He gently stroked her back, his eyes closed and tension eased.

"Ahem, I see you found your waif." Flack said by the door way.

"I wish I have locks to my door." Mac muttered.

"And concrete walls," Emily added.

"Go away Don." Mac said as he waved him away.

"Just one thing before I go," Flack grinned. "We caught Romeo, he was trying to flee to Canada. Border Patrol recognized his mug from our APB."

Emily pulled away from Mac as she turned to Flack, "Bow-tie killer at the Park?"

"That one, Emily. We got his ID from the engagement ring, it has a serial number. He confessed to strangling her. Case closed."

Mac nodded, "Good job. Now scoot out of here, Don."

Flack smiled as he saluted to them haphazardly before he walked away from them.

Mac turned his gaze back to Emily but was interrupted by Jo, "Um, just want to say goodnight to you two," She looked at them as she smiled. "Emily, glad to see you looking good, get well soon. Bye, Ellie is waiting for me downstairs." She quickly walked towards the elevator as she pressed the buttons for the elevator.

"We should go bef…"

"Hey Mac…" Adam came by as he waved a tablet and looked up before he realized he was interrupting them. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you two…hey! You must be the FBI…Oh!" Realization dawned on his face as he suddenly looked depressed and foolish, "Oh man Mac! I'm so sorry about the picture I sent…er I hoped you'd deleted it…I'm returning to my hole and get back to work." He shook his head as he walked back to the lab.

"Does he always talk like that?"Emily giggled.

"Not really, I think it's you." Mac grinned as he continued holding her.

"As you were saying?" She prompted him.

"As I was…."

"Mac! Linds and I are done for the evening and before I forget…here's a little present for you two…Hi Emily!" Danny quickly entered Mac's office and handed him an 8x10 print. "Good night you two!"

"Come on Danny! Goodnight Mac, Emily."

Emily waved at her and Danny as she turned back to Mac who began to chuckled before passing the print to Emily.

Frowning she took it from him and started laughing.

It was a snapshot Danny had taken of Mac and Emily; Mac was holding the engagement ring as Emily looked at Mac. Their expression told the story as if he was proposing to her were it not for the blue latex gloves they both were wearing but their gazes at each other was another thing as it was very telling as their eyes seem to be for each other.

"Our first proposal, how sweet," Emily remarked as she handed the photo back to Mac.

He walked back to his desk as he bent down and picked up a bag and set it on his desk, "Your things."

Emily came over to look inside and smiled, "My gun! And phone…credentials!" She looked up at him. "Thanks Mac, I'd thought I had lost them."

He shook his head, "Danny recovered them when paramedics took us to the hospital."

"Us?"

"I couldn't leave you alone, Emily." Mac said softly.

Emily dropped her things as she came around and went to him and held him one handed, "Thank you."

He pulled her closer to him as he kissed her, "I thought I'd lose you…."

She smiled, "Don't you know, I'm invincible?"

He pulled her away a bit and said, "I saw your scars, some looked recent…but?"

She shook her head, "Another time, Mac. I'm tired of talking, can you take me home?"

He nodded, "I like the sound of that. Come on, Agent Prentiss."

She smiled, "Yes Det. Taylor. I'm ready."

He bent down and picked up her go bag and the bag of her things in one hand and held her hand in the other as they left his office together.

As they walked out of the Crime Lab building and into Mac's SUV, they did not see _her_.

"Mac Taylor, you're mine! Not that whore!" She slammed her hands on the steering wheels as she followed them as he parked at the curb near his apartment.

She parked behind several cars with the head lights turned off.

She was becoming incensed as she watched them walked inside closed together.

Why can't it be her and Mac? It should have been her and Mac together, not that FBI whore!

She was tempted to use the phone but she shook her head. She knew it was being tracked, that whore was smart; she had _him_ track Mac's phone number. Oh yes, she overheard her telling _him_ to do it. Now, who's the smarter one? She was not dumb; she was not going to get caught. She had kept that whore under watch.

She stayed where she was for a few more minutes before driving off and returning home.

She'd have her Mac soon…oh yes, and he'd come to her willingly, not that whore!

….

End of Chapter 7


	8. Chapter 8

New York, New York! – Chapter 8

.

Emily entered Mac's apartment and stopped.

"Something the matter, Emily?" Mac asked from behind, he had dropped her things at once and grabbed for his gun.

"Are you sure this is your place?" She asked.

He moved from behind and stood beside her, "Yeah, why? You don't like this?"

Emily began to move in a little more as she let the sight before her absorbed. "Mac, this is a museum!" Her eyes were wide as she looked about from up the ceiling to beyond the hallways.

She turned back to him, "You did this?" She pointed with her good hand. He nodded.

"My projects when I'm not working." He answered as he moved into a hallway down to their left, he let her wander his apartment freely.

Mac's apartment was a work of wonder! Emily had never seen such displays of art; there were various collections of antique miniature labyrinth boxes that she knew he had painstakingly worked on. Also there were many ships in the bottles on displays. The ships were from the 12th century to the 19th century naval vessels within clear glass bottles.

In another section of the room were shelved upon shelves of books, they were all about forensics works written by authors from the earliest forensic medical scientists to the most recent. A well-worn book stuck out that caught her attention as she pulled it out and read the cover; she saw he must follow this theoretical physicist, Gabriele Veneziano, a pioneer of string theory.

"Profiling me, Agent Prentiss?"

Emily almost dropped the book as she turned her head sharply to her right to see Mac leaning against by the door frame, he had shed his jacket and looked relaxed with a few buttons unbuttoned and a smile on his face.

Shaking her head, "Just admiring your choice of reading preferences." She said as she tried to put the book back in its place but found she couldn't, not with one hand.

Shaking his head compassionately, either that or he felt sorry for her he straightened from the doorframe and moved to stand next to her and taking the book from her hand and smoothly slid the book into the space on the shelf as he watched her.

"Thank you." She said softly, feeling shy all of a sudden and the room felt small.

"Anything else?" He asked quietly as he reached out and ran the back of his fingers over her cheek.

She continued to stare at him, mesmerized by his soft touch as she said nothing as she leaned against the shelf.

He slowly bent down and captured her lips and kissed her as she held him with one arm on his shoulder.

Later, much later…they were sitting at the kitchen counter, red wine and take-out Chinese food.

"I gather you don't cook often?" She asked him, munching on a piece teriyaki chicken.

"I like to cook but there's no time."

Emily raised her brows as she looked around his place at all the 'toys'.

He shook his head, "That's different, Emily…cooking…I have no one to eat it with. And…hey! You're doing it again!" He looked accusingly at her.

"What?" she laughed.

"Profiling…stop, please or I'm going to stop feeding you and kick you out. Flack would love to have you as a roommate."

She stared at him horrified, "Oh no, Mac! I don't think so! He may be your friend but he is impossible!"

"Why not? I think he's nice."

"Nice? He's like a kid! No, I take it back, he is an overgrown kid." She laughed as she reached over and took his shrimp piece and quickly ate it.

"Emily! Okay…that does it. Out! Get out!" He stood up from his seat.

Emily frowned suddenly as she put her chopsticks down and looked at him, "Mac? Are you serious?"

He nodded his head as he guided her out of the kitchen but instead of to the main entrance he steered her to the bathroom.

Breathing with a sigh of relief, she turned around to him and hit him on his chest, "YOU!" she exclaimed. "Are not funny at all!" She turned back around and walked into the bathroom and saw a large bathtub, large enough to fit more than two in it!

Mac grinned as he walked in as well and made preparations for her and filled the tub and turned to her. "First of all, I couldn't turn you out if no matter how mad you made me, second you smell like a walking hospital. So you're taking a bath and then we're changing the bandages." He began to unbuttoned her shirt and then her bra. Working on her pants and panties after until she was completely naked except for the large bandage on her back.

He gave her a gentle nudge towards the tub and she nodded as she climbed into the warm water and savor the luxuriant silkiness of the water.

"Don't submerge, Em." He reminded her as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the soak. "Okay, scoot in…" She opened her eyes and saw Mac had climbed in the tub behind her!

She quickly scoot forward as he sat down behind and she felt him pulling her towards him and laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes again.

Feeling warm water on her skin as Mac used a large sponge on her and then he lathered and washed her body carefully all over as he pampered her. Kisses were dotted on her now perfumed and softened skin as he began to work on washing her hair as he switched the tap to a spray mode.

He was careful to not get her bandage wet all through their sensual bath.

Seeing their now pruned fingers and toes made them laughed as Mac asked if she was ready to get out of her bath, she nodded.

"Let me get out first," he said as he kissed her now swollen lips. She nodded.

He stood up and climbed out dripping wet as Emily watched him and admired his physique; he really was built beautifully, strong muscular arms and biceps as he picked up a towel and dried his torso, ah..What a chest…so strong… and his stomach, so lean and down to his hips…oh wow! His hips wonderfully narrowed and tapered. As he turned to his side, she observed his butt, correction, Emily, his very firm and oh-so-round butt, to his tight thighs; muscular yes, she remembered laying her head on his thigh and it had felt firm. And his ankles? Oh yes, women admired men's ankles too! Here in the tub just now they were a pair of the sexiest ankles she had ever seen!

"Emily? What are you smiling at?" Emily looked up at Mac, her smile remained as she shook her head.

"Oh…nothing, just day-dreaming."

"Must be a good day-dream," he had wrapped the towel around his slim hips and he was bare chested.

Emily was staring shamelessly at him.

He now reached for another towel and spreading it out, held it for her, "Okay, ready when you're."

She reluctantly stood up from the now tepid water as she hopped out of the tub and into towel as Mac began to towel her dry gently.

Then he led her into his bedroom and sat her down on his bed.

"I'll be back," he said.

Emily looked around his bedroom and saw it was a typical man's room; decorated in hunter green, on the head board was filled with his military awards and ribbons and photographs of his Vietnam buddies. On the wall were photographs of his parents, she was about to stand up and move to look at his parents closer when Mac came back with a bag containing bandages the hospital had provided.

Sitting behind her, Mac peeled the bandage from her as she gritted her teeth and Mac saw the extent of the stitches the surgeons had worked on her, "Twelve stitches! Damn!"

"You're kidding?" Emily tried to turn to him.

"Don't move…need to clean it." He applied alcohol pad and ointment before he put another bandage on her. "There. All done." He patted her back after he disposed the old bandages in the trash can.

He then lay down on his bed as he pulled her to him. "Do you need anything for the pain?" he offered.

She shook her head, "No, I hate taking that stuff but I'm fine." She leaned closer to him and grinned. "There are …other methods that can block the pain." She leaned in and kissed him.

He smiled back, "Oh? What methods might that be?" He grabbed her shoulders gently as he pulled her to him.

"It's a theoretical one and it needs to be explored and discussed." She teased him.

"We can toss the discussion out the window for now and explore it right now…speaking of tossing…"

….a few seconds later, their towels were tossed onto the floor….

…

Stanley Goldman was sitting in his living room when he was drinking his favorite chocolate milk, Yoo-hoo when he five minutes later he began convulsing severely soon fell into unconsciousness.

…

The next morning, Emily wakened up to fresh smell of coffee.

She tried to sit up but felt sinfully sore all over and decided to stay where she was…on Mac's bed.

Emily smiled as she recalled last evening's wonderful oh-so beautiful and delightful…

"Emily."

"Hmm…" She smiled as she stretched her good arm out on the sheet.

"Em…hey…"

She felt a depression behind her as she turned around and saw Mac's worried face and he was holding her cell phone.

"I'm sorry but your cell's been ringing…it's your agent Gibson."

She sat up holding the sheet up and answered the phone.

"Prentiss."

"Boss, this is JG," She sounded upset on the phone.

"What's going on JG?"

"It's Stan, he didn't show up for work this morning and Bob went to check on him because he only lives about three blocks away and…and…oh my god!"

"Calm down…talk to me…JG what happen?"

"He…he…Stan had a …seizure…he…didn't ….boss…he's…dead." She began to cry at the last.

Emily was shock as she looked up at Mac who shook his head.

"JG, get a hold of yourself…does he have…never mind…I'll take care of it, I'll talk to you later."

She tossed her phone down and as she gathered her knees up and wrapped her hands around them.

Mac came to sit near her, "I'm sorry about Stan. I don't know him but…"

She shook her head, "I was pretty rough on him when I first arrived…" she began to tell him the incident when she first arrived at the FBI office building. "I'm responsible for his death."

Mac shook his head, "No, you're not. You did the right thing Em. You gave him a second chance when most people would not have."

Emily looked up at him, "I need to find out if he has family members and all that…could you help me dressed, Mac?"

He nodded, "I'm off today, I'll be glad to do anything for you."

He was dressed in a buttoned up shirt and pants as he helped her dressed similarly later on as she got on the phone and obtained Stan's personnel records from Human Resources and found his mother and sister were still living in upstate New York and made a call to them and offered her condolences and helped them made funeral arrangements.

But before she could finished with the mortuary arrangements, she received a call from Sid asking to see her in person at the ME office.

Mac accompanied her to the ME's office half an hour later as they walked together towards Sid's autopsy table and Emily saw that he was working on Stan.

"Sid? What is this? I thought he was processed and ready to be released?" Emily inquired.

Sid shook his head, "I'm glad you're here Mac. I can't release the body as of yet as this is now considered a homicide." Sid announced.

"What?" Emily stared at him. "I thought he suffered a seizure?"

Sid nodded, "He did but I had his blood analyzed." He then held his hands up. "Hang on. Let me explain; this is new Bureau policies. All employees both government and civilians employees must be tested for drugs and alcohol before beneficiaries can receive insurances and pensions."

He then pick up a piece of paper and read it with his readers, "He has twice the dose of the seizure drug in his system at the time of his death. Stanley Goldman does not have seizures; I checked his medical records." Sid looked up at Emily and Mac. "Therefore your technician here was murdered. Which made this a murder case ergo I can't release his body to his family as of yet."

Mac and Emily exchanged looks as Mac said, "I guess my off day has been cancelled."

"And my medical leave has been too." Emily nodded as she pulled her phone out."

..

…..

End of Chapter 8

.

….


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks to all and everyone who reviewed and put this story in you fav/alert/add on!**

.

New York, New York! – Chapter 9

.

Emily entered the FBI building when she saw the crime unit working on the floor and in particularly Stan's office.

Jo Danville was dusting for prints as she was collecting anything she deemed viable for analysis.

Mac had gone to Stan's apartment with Danny and Flack. As Emily was close to the case, she was not permitted in the apartment so a squad car took her to the FBI building.

"Hey Jo, find anything useful?" Emily greeted her as she stood by the doorframe, the glass panel had yet to be replaced.

Jo peeked up from under the computer table, "Oh hey Emily! Sorry about your computer tech. And no…aside from the fact the now deceased computer technician was a slob. There candy wrappers from goodness knows how long it's been here," She held up a very dried and wrinkled wrapper with a pair of tweezers and then put them in a brown evidence bag. "So how's the stab wound?"

"It is itching like nuts and I don't have anything long to reach around to scratch it," Emily had reached over but it was no use as she shifted her shoulders around the fabric of her shirt.

"What's this?" Jo muttered.

"What do you have?" Emily wanted to step over to look but knew she couldn't.

"It's a seizure medication bottle and a used syringe…"

"I thought Sid said Stan does not have seizures…" Emily wondered.

"Is that right? This doesn't make any sense then." Jo remarked.

Emily frowned but didn't say a word as she returned to her own office.

She wanted to look into Stan's computer to see what he had gotten as far as the employees' records, particularly the three but as of this moment she couldn't.

Then she realized her three agents were not out in the bullpen area. She looked around and walked out of her office.

She walked back to Jo and asked her.

"Oh, they're at the precinct talking to Don Flack about Stan. It's just standard procedures." She shrugged and went back to her work.

Emily nodded and returned to her office again, she began to feel twitchy besides the intense itch in the back of her bandage, she couldn't help but feel something was not right, something bad was about to happen.

Half an hour later, her suspicion came to light when her three agents came back as well as Don Flack but he was not smiling as he walked into her office.

"Hey Emily." He greeted her, not smiling.

"Hello Flack, is everything okay?" She eyed him and didn't like his demeanor.

"We need to talk…about Stan."

She nodded, "Okay…talk."

He shook his head, "Sorry, we're doing it in my _casa!_ My office, Agent Prentiss."

Emily leaned forward over her desk, "Det. Flack, am I being treated as a suspect?"

He shook his head and held his hands up, "Let's not get hasty, Em. It's just some questioning."

She nodded and stood up. "Let's go then."

He stood up and followed her.

She glanced over to her agents and gauged their expressions before she left the unit and towards the elevator.

"How's the back?" Flack asked her.

"Itching like nuts." She said glumly.

"Here turn around," he offered as she did and he lightly scratched her itch, "There, just around the bandage…damn! That's some huge bandage, Em."

She nodded, "Mac said it's twelve stitches. No wonder it's itching…I have got to get me one of those back scratcher."

He grinned, "Might get it for you birthday…it's somewhere in October, isn't it?"

She turned around and faced him, "Nosy cop," she muttered.

He shook his head, "Hey, hey, hey…it's detective, I earn it."

"Once a cop, always a cop." She teased him as they stepped into the elevator.

….

Once they arrived at the precinct, before Flack brought her into the interrogation room, he had her surrendered her guns and her credentials.

"This is so unnecessary; she slammed her weapon down on his desk after she made sure it was cleared.

"Procedures, Agent Prentiss." He said.

"Call me that, I'll really shoot your sorry ass, Flack."

He shook his head.

"What's going on?"

They turned their heads at Mac.

"Look Mac, it's standard procedures, I have to question Emily about Stan Goldman."

"So you made her come all the way down here to the precinct and made her strip her stuff?" Mac asked angrily.

"Mac, you need to back off or we're going to treat this as conflict of interest."

He then relented and nodded, "Sorry Don."

"No problem but you should read the statements from her agents first." He gave him a look.

"What? What are they saying?" Emily asked Flack.

"Sorry, can't say, Em." Flack shook his head.

"Can you hold off interviewing her?" Mac asked him.

He nodded, "Sure, we'll sit here and have a drink and chew the fat."

"Don…"Mac warned him as he turned to leave them but at the last moment, "Hang in there, Em, we're trying to get to the bottom of this."

She nodded as she began to pace about the floor of the bullpen.

"Don't go too far, Em." Flack watched her.

Emily eyed him and shook her head, "Trust me will you?"

"Oh I trust you…I do…for now."

She ignored his last comment as she continued to pace.

…..

An hour later in the interrogation room; Mac, Flack and Emily were in there,

"You've got to be joking, right?" Emily laughed.

"Just answer the question, Em." Mac said, he was standing in the corner of the room.

"Oh, I'm answering the question and let me tell you how ridiculous it sounds; no, I'm don't have a grudge against Stan. That is ridiculous!" she waved her good arm out.

"But you told him he was under investigation by IA." Flack pointed out.

"Yes! I did, he was defrauding the system! Shouldn't I be doing it? Or should I let it slide under the table?"

"Did you break the door down?"

"I did, after I knocked on the door twice." She shook her head.

"Why didn't you get the keys?" Flack asked her again.

"I didn't have the time to do so and I didn't know who has it."

"Well, you could get a hold of the janitor or the maintenance man?"

Emily slammed her hand down hard on the table and stood up, "I don't believe this! Base on this half ass accusations, I'm now a suspect in the death of Stan Goldman? What flippin' motive would I have to gain from murdering him?"

"$1.2 million dollars." Flack said.

"What?" Emily asked.

"$1.2 million dollars, that's what Stan was worth. But you knew that when you saw his bank records."

"I did but it was another investigation! I told you he was defrauding the government and he falsified his tax return claims for the last five years which was in total of $1.2 million."

"Did you notify IRS?" Mac asked quietly.

She shook her head, "I have not…the time. I …we let IA figured how much he owed the government first before I made the phone call."

"But it's not up to you when to call, you should have notified them immediately."

Emily looked at Mac, "I should have but I didn't because I was in the hospital, you knew that. Everything happened so fast."

He nodded, "But it shouldn't take long to make a phone call." Mac pointed out.

Emily nodded, "Yeah I guess." She said softly. "I don't know what to say except I didn't kill Stan and I don't stand to gain anything from his death. Believe me when I said I don't have anything to back up my story as I'm new around here. I'm not asking for a lawyer now as I'm not guilty of anything. That's all I have to say." She then looked away from the two.

"I'm sorry Emily but you'll have to stay here for the night." Mac said as he glare at Flack.

"Do what you have to do, Mac." She nodded as she stood up.

Flack led her to a holding cell, "I'll make sure you're here by yourself, Em. I'm sorry.

Emily didn't respond as she went to the cot and sat down, her back to the door.

…

As Flack walked back to his desk he saw Mac waiting for him.

"Look I know what you're going to say, Mac."

"Oh yeah?" Mac was furious.

"Mac, she's been set up, I know but by whom?"

"I wish I knew. Who would hold a grudge against her? She's new here, for god's sake!"

"Mac I know but I can't just let her go free. My hands are tied." Flack said.

Mac nodded and was about to answer when his phone rang,

"Taylor."

_Hello Mac, I'm back! Did you miss me?_

"Oh no, not you again."

_Aw darling, we'll be together soon, I promise you_.

"Look I'm with someone."

_No you're not, not anymore, she's locked up at the moment so you're mine now._

"Look, whoever you're, why don't you come over here and meet me?"

No answer.

"Hello?"

Nothing.

Mac put his phone back in his pocket.

"Your stalker?" Flack asked him

He nodded, "She seems to know Emily is being locked up. Whoever she is, she is nearby and knows a lot about her."

"Em?" Mac nodded. "She's safe in here for the night, Mac."

He looked at his best friend, "She didn't kill Stan, Don. I'm going to look into this carefully."

Flack nodded, "I believe you Mac. Just find me the real killer."

"Oh, I intend to do so, just do me a favor, get her something to eat she hadn't anything since this morning." He left the precinct with a purpose as he made his way back to the crime lab, "Adam…do you have Stan Goldman's computers in the lab yet?"

_Er….the ones from the FBI building?_

"Yes, do you have the ones from his apartment up too?"

_Yeah I do and you might want to come down here and take a look at it_.

"I'll be there."

….

Emily was thinking about all the things she had said to Stan…and to the other agents and they didn't make sense that any of it would make sense at all that would implicate her.

The main question would be who would want her out …

She heard the door opened and then closed. "Did you forget something, Flack?" Emily didn't want to talk to him at the moment unless it was to tell her they had made a mistake and they were releasing her.

Not hearing anything perked her curiosity so she turned around to face the door when she saw a hand coming at her fast and swiped her off the cot!

She found herself slammed onto the concrete floor hard as her face felt intense pan.

"What the…" She never got chance to finish the rest of the sentence as her mystery assailant picked her up bodily from behind as she was lifted and slammed once again onto the concrete floor, knocking her unconscious.

Flack, a fast food baggie in hand made his way to the holding cell and a cold drink stopped in front of Emily's cell when he spotted her lying on the floor, the back of her shirt was bleeding as well as the side of her head.

Flack dropped the bag and drink and began yelling for help as he hurriedly opened the door and rushed to her on the floor.

"Em! Emily! Shit! Somebody call 911!" He held onto her tightly. "Come on Emily! Mac is not going to like this shit! If I find who did this…"

….

"Okay Adam, what is this you have?" Mac stepped into the computer hub of the crime lab.

"Oh hey Mac," Adam pulled his earbuds out of his ears and pointed to his screen. "Stanley Goldman is doing something I think for Emily and he didn't want anyone to know so he hid it under a few layers of files which was pretty smart and no one knew about it if they didn't know where to look for it but it's there."

Mac squeezed the bridge between his nose, "Adam…what is there? Can we see?"

"Oh yeah, look she is looking the entire personal files of those three agents, and so far I don't know what it is she wants him to look for in them…financial records, criminal records, school records, and even assessment records."Adam shook his head, "I don't know, Mac."

"What about the personal records of Stan? That money he defrauded from the IRS, where is it now?" Mac asked him.

Typing into his keyboard, "Um….he had kept it…"Adam raised his eyebrows as he read the screen, "Well, this is not making any sense."

"What is?"

Adam pointed at the screen, "He had three separate accounts all total $1.2 million and it is currently and mysteriously missing."

"Adam, money can't just go missing."

"I know...I….will get it traced."Adam nodded. "And there's this…"

"More?" Mac arched his brow.

"Yeah, er… Stan is tracking your cell phone."

"Oh yeah, Emily is doing this because of the stalker…"

His phone began ringing at the same time Adam's computer began to record Mac's phone line as Stan had set it up to do.

"MAC! It's Don! You have to get to local General! It's Emily!"

His heart began thumping rapidly! "What the hell happened, Don?" Mac began running out of the lab heading towards the elevator.

"I don't know what the hell happened but she was attacked in the cell and we're on the way to General."

"I'm on my way." Mac shoved his phone into his pocket as he waited for the elevator. "Come on!" he muttered.

"Mac!"

He turned around and saw Agent Gibson rushing towards him. "I heard on the dispatch radio…Emily…"

He nodded, "Yeah, Don said she was attacked in her cell. They're on the way to County General."

"Can I get a ride?" She asked.

He nodded, "Yeah." He stabbed at the button several times again.

"What the hell is going on?" he muttered to himself again.

"What?" JG asked as she stood near him in the elevator as they rode it down.

Mac shook his head, "I just want to know why all this happening to her."

JG shrugged. "She is not the easiest person to get along."

Mac nodded in agreement, remembering his first meeting with her.

"Poor Stan got the worst of it all," she continued. "She threatened him with jail if he didn't work with her."

He frowned as he tried to recall what she had told him the night before about what happened with Stan. "That's not what she said, Agent Gibson. Emily told me she gave him an option, not threatened."

"Well, kind of the same." She shrugged.

"Did you tell Det. Flack in the interview this afternoon?" As they climbed into his SUV.

She nodded, "I don't remember much, Det. Taylor. I mean so much has happened since and in between." She dragged her hand through her hair in confusion and looked sad.

Mac softened, "Yeah, I'm sorry for being hard, Agent Gibson.

She shook her head, "It's okay."

They rode the rest of the way in silence.

Once they arrived at the hospital, Mac rushed to the emergency ward, JG following close behind.

He found Flack leaning against the wall along the emergency doors, parts of his shirt was bloodied.

Mac swallowed hard as he stood in front of his friend and grabbed his shirt and brought it close to him.

"I told you to watch for her, Don."

Flack didn't fight him as he let Mac man handled him, "I'm sorry Mac. I honestly don't know what happened. The surveillance cameras were conveniently cut off in the holding cell. Someone let someone in and slammed her on the floor…Mac, she took some pretty hard licks…I don't know." He shook his head. "And her stitches were ripped opened again."

Mac let him go as Flack slid down on the floor, Mac joined him soon after.

"How much can she take, Don?" Mac clenched his fists tightly. "She doesn't deserve this shit…"

Flack nodded his head, "I know Mac."

"She just want to do good things…she is a good person Don. She catches serial killers and do good…she doesn't deserve this…" He put his head down as he shook his head sadly.

Flack patted Mac's shoulder. "She's a fighter Mac, she'll get through this. We're going to get the killer."

Mac nodded.

"What are you two sitting there like a couple of logs?"

…

End of Chapter 9

.


	10. Chapter 10

**Here' s the conclusion of the case! don't worry, it's not over! There'll be some explanation in the next chapter. **

**.**

New York, New York! – Chapter 10

.

"What are you two sitting there like a couple of logs?"

Mac and Flack looked up and saw Emily sitting in the wheelchair, an orderly behind her while an attending physician standing beside the big burly orderly.

"Emily!" They exclaimed together as they scrambled to stand up together and rushed to her side. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been slammed." She said."

Emily's face was badly bruised as there were cuts and bandages on the sides of her face and cheeks and a new sling over her left shoulder and a brace on her left wrist.

The physician stepped forward and spoke, "Mac? A word?"

Mac looked up and saw a familiar face, "Dr. Hicks, how are you?"

He nodded, "Oh, good…but can we talk?" He indicated a corner with a concerned look.

Mac nodded as he looked at Flack who accompanied him.

The three were soon in a corner talking quietly while Agent Gibson came over and talked to Emily.

"Hey boss, glad to see you." She nodded to her.

"Oh hey JG, I didn't see you. Yay, I'm doing good, how's things at the unit?"

"Oh, good. We're hanging in there and concerned about you."

Emily waved at her with one hand, "Don't worry about me, as you can see, I'm still alive."

"Do you know who did this?" JG asked her.

"Um…no, I don't. whoever just came in and just attacked all of sudden."

"I'm sorry, boss." JG said.

"What are you doing here, JG?" Emily had her head down as she was rubbing it.

"Oh..I heard it on the Police scanner and I was at the crime lab and Mac gave me a ride here…but I should head home…its late."

Emily nodded as her head was throbbing badly. "Okay…could you pick up Stan's mother and sister from the train station? They're coming in the morning to take him back to upstate for the funeral and burial."

"Don't worry a thing boss, I'll make sure it's all taken care of."

"Thanks JG."

"I'll see you later." She then walked away.

Emily felt as if her head was about to explode when suddenly a hand touched her shoulder and she jumped almost out of the wheel chair.

"Whoa! It's okay, okay…Emily." Flack came around and looked at her with concerned and contrite as he knelt in front of her, "Em..I'm so sorry I swore that you'd be safe in there and you…." He shook his head.

Emily placed her hand on his head, "Flack, it's not your fault, you didn't know. I'm still alive, right?" He nodded as he looked sorrowful at her. "Just do me a favor, find that ass hole and locked him or her up. That's all."

He nodded, "You got it, Em. I'll get that ass hole and that idiot who put him in there."

She nodded as she held his hand.

"Don…."Mac began. "You keep holding her hand like that and I'm going to start getting jealous."

He smiled and released her and stood up. "Emily and I might just have something going on and you can't do nothing about it."

Emily shook her head, "You wish, cop."

"Hey, hey, hey, I told you it's detective. I earned it, Feeb!"

Emily turned to look up behind her, "See what I have to deal with, Frank?"

The big orderly shook his head and smile as he nodded to Mac and Flack, "She's all yours, I have to get back to the ward and clean up Mrs. Benton's spills. She's always doing it out of spite. Have a nice night, please be careful, Agent Prentiss." He patted her shoulder gently as Emily stood up from the wheel chair and waved at him before he wheeled the now empty chair away as he whistled a meaningless tune and disappeared around the corner.

Mac and held Emily steady by slipping around her waist and gathered her tightly to him, "I'm sorry for all everything, Emily."

She turned to him and snuggled into his neck and shook her head, "It's okay Mac. You'll make it up somehow, right?"

He chuckled at her teasing as he nodded, "You won't let me off won't you?"

"Not a chance."

"Aw….all these saccharin," Flack smiled at them. "I'm getting sugar overload just listening to you two. Get a room will ya?"

They looked up at him and shook their heads, "Not right now, Don," Mac said. "Still got an open case to solve. Emily, you're going to Flack's place so he can keep an eye…"

Emily shook her head, "No Mac. I'm going with you. I feel safer, no offense Flack but I've had enough of Flack's personal services." She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Ouch!" Flack held a hand over his heart as he winced. "That hurt, Em."

Mac saw them and relented as he nodded, ignoring Flack's emotions. "My couch in the office is not the most comfortable."

"I've slept on it before, it's fine, Mac." She smiled.

Flack leaned in and whispered into Mac's ears, "Remember what doc said."

Emily frowned, "What did he said?"

"You did suffer a nasty concussion and shouldn't be left alone. And he's releasing you against his recommendation. He wants to keep you overnight, standard procedures, which I agree with him."

Emily shook her head, and wished she didn't as her head was still throbbing but she didn't tell him.

"I'm perfectly fine. And I hate hospitals. Besides, I need to get into Stan's computers. Adam can babysit me and make sure I'm not doing anything out of procedures."

Mac thought for a moment, "I do need some help, especially your BAU Garcia; Stan's money is gone."

"What do you mean?"

Mac shook his head, "I'll fill you in on the way, since you're no longer a suspect in the case, right Don?" he glanced over to him.

Flack nodded, "Yeah, the attack on her cleared her."

"I'll need my guns and credentials back, Flack." She pointed.

"I'll drop you guys off at the lab and head back to the precinct and pick your pieces up and get them back to you."

She nodded as they all walked out of the hospital.

…

As soon as they arrived at the crime lab, Mac showed Emily the computer lab where Adam was waiting with Stan's computers.

"Okay Adam, let's take a look at Stan's work computer." Emily said.

"What were you doing with the personnel files of your three agents? I mean they've been in the Bureau for over three years." Adam asked her as he brought their files up on the screen.

"I'm not sure, anything. It's just a gut feeling I'm running on them. Everyone in the unit jumped ship since Kate Joyner died except them and it seemed fishy for them to stay around when they could have gone anywhere like the other agents."

"You think they're up to something?"

"I'm not sure, Adam."Emily said.

Adam grinned and looked at her, "I like the way you say my name…Adam…sounds so…"

"Focus, Adam." Mac reminded him sternly as he gave him a wry look.

Blushing slightly he nodded as he went back to his screen, "Uh…yeah…focus…yup…"

Emily and Mac exchanged amusing looks.

Adam shook his head, "Not a whole lot, just your usual records."

Emily frowned as she shook her head and began picking her nonexistent nails, "This is not making any sense…" she muttered to herself.

She turned back to Adam, "Stan's three accounts…who stands to gain?"

"Huh?"

She shook her head, "No…who did he listed as his beneficiaries besides his mother and sister?"

Adam typed some key words into his computer and a few names came up.

"Who is Jacqueline Greenburg, James Greenburg and Steven Greenburg?" Emily frowned.

"Well, it says here, Jacqueline and James are husband and wife," Mac pointed out as he was reading from the screen. "And Steven is their brother-in-law."

Emily nodded, "I guess. But how do we account for the whole amount now missing totally?"

"That is why we need the help of your Penelope Garcia but it's late in Quantico, so we'll have to wait till morning." Mac pointed out.

Emily found a chair and sat in front of a computer screen and then asked Adam to transfer the three agents' files again, so she could read and profile them again.

Adam nodded as he did it within a few minutes.

Mac excused himself as he wanted to check with Jo and the others to find out what they had with their findings from the evidences they found from Stan's apartment and his office.

JG's files were too good until her psyche eval. Emily spotted something missing, two dates were missing. Psyche evaluations were performed annually but there was one done around the time of Kate Joyner's death!

It was too late to call up Quantico to get the requested paperwork. Once again, she'd have to wait for the next morning.

She then turned to Shell Honeycutt, his eval was done the same time; at the date of Kate Joyner's death.

As she read the computer screen, she saw the words began to blend in and blinked a few times.

The words were generic terms describing the agent's general work behavior, just like JG's

Emily frowned again. The words are exactly the same….supervisors avoid using the same words, especially if the evaluation was done on the same dates!

She should know, the BAU team wrote the books on how to do employees evaluations.

Emily switched to Roberto Gonzalez's evaluation and saw it was the same exact words as well.

It was obvious someone had forged the evaluation forms.

The question was who did it? As these were computerized, it was difficult to figure out and the signature was a blurred mess.

But one thing was for sure; one of her three agents was the Stan's killer….or all three?

What did they stand to gain? $1.2 million. It began to dawn on Emily, three beneficiaries, three agents. How clever of them.

And here she thought, they were the dedicated three to stay behind while the rest had jumped and left this unit.

They must have found out how much Stan was worth and decided to do away with him.

But they didn't take into account on how quickly the FBI sent a new Unit Chief to the New York City building and interrupted their little plan.

"Adam!" Emily suddenly spoke up startling the lab tech out of his slumber.

"Oh shit! I'd forgotten you're still there!" he almost fell out of his chair.

"I need to get a hold of Flack! Hurry! And where's Mac?"

"He's in the lab" He pointed another direction as he stood up but before he could pull his cell phone out, something hit him hard in the head as he turned his head and hit a wall and fell unconscious.

Emily looked up and saw Shell holding a crowbar with both hands, "So you figured us out, bitch!"

"Shell!" Emily held her hand out. "Listen to me, we can talk it out."

He shook his head, "Don't try your profile shit on me, bitch! It won't work. Where's my fucking money?"

Emily frowned, "You don't have it? I thought you …?"

He smiled maliciously at her as he raised the crowbar at her and made to whack at her when she made a quick dash from him and out the other way and began running down the hallways of the lab.

"MAC! MAC TAYLOR! HELP!" she yelled at her as she was suddenly grabbed by someone and hauled into a room, a hand over her mouth as she tried to struggle.

"Shut the fuck up, boss!"It was Gonzalez as he held the gun to her right temple, Emily stopped struggling immediately.

"That's right. Nice and easy. Where's our money, Emily?" He asked, his voice close to ear.

"I don't have it, Bob or which one are you? Steven? Or James?"

"Very smart Emily, but it you're going to find our money."

"Look, we're also looking for it too." Emily pointed. "I have no way of tracking it."

"I don't believe it bitch!" He hit her hard on her temple with the butt of his gun. "I want my goddamn money!" he said desperately.

"They're not even yours," Emily winced painfully as she felt wetness oozing from her temple. "Bob, I think I'm going to be sick…I need…oh…shit…" she began to heave.

Gonzalez began to back away from her as he didn't want to get soiled but before he realized it Emily raised her right elbow and whacked him hard in his cheek and he dropped his gun in surprised as Emily quickly grabbed it and turned around and fired at him a few times. Roberto fell down at once as the bullets hit him in the forehead directly.

Emily, holding the gun peeked out of the room and saw Shell fired a shot down the hallway into her direction as she reared back into the room.

"I got you, bitch!" He yelled nearby.

"Get in here, Shell, come see what I done to your buddy!" Emily yelled back him.

"That's fine, more money for me and JG." He laughed.

"Where's JG?" Emily asked.

"None of your fucking business."

"What? She's not here? To make sure you guys do it right? I mean …look what happen to Bob, and soon it's going to happen to you."

"Shut the fuck up Bitch!" he yelled as he fired another shot into the room but luckily it missed her. "I'm going to kill you!"

"No you're not…look Shell, drop your gun. We'll talk, we'll find the money and split it, just you and me. Forget about JG. She's not worth it."

"I said shut the fuck up!" he fired another two more shots and then she heard a click and then and another click.

He's out of bullets in his cartridge!

Emily began to come out of the room but suddenly she heard footsteps as and a shot fired and a body fell on the floor.

"Emily?"

Emily heard Mac's voice as she stood up and ran out and saw Mac, Jo, Danny, and Lindsey standing with their guns out pointing down at Shell.

Mac was approaching her slowly, "You okay?"

Emily nodded, "Yeah."

"Why can't I let out of my sight for more than ten minutes without you getting into a mess?"

Emily dropped the gun as she walked into Mac's opened arms as he gathered her to him, "I'm a magnet for trouble." She mumbled into his jacket.

He hugged her as tight as he could as she was still in the sling, "You're an amazing woman, you know that Agent Emily Prentiss?" He lifted her head and kissed her lips.

She smiled and said, "Yeah? Why is it I'm the one getting all the scraps and you're not?"

He wiped the blood from her forehead and shook his head, "I'd call them battle scars, my dear."

"Ahem," Danny peeked around them. "How about continue your little twosome somewhere while we clean up your mess Emily? Mac?"

Jo was attending to Adam's injuries in his lab.

Mac walked about to walk Emily to his office when Mac's phone rang as well as Adam's computer came on. They all looked up at once.

Emily looked around Mac as he answered his phone, "Adam, track it now!"

Adam stood up and typed a key and soon the screen began to trace the call.

"Taylor."

_I have to say goodbye Mac and I won't be seeing you again. _

"Look, stop with all this crap and come see me."

_No, I love you Mac but you don't love me at all. You love that whore. I try so hard to..to get rid of her._

"Got her! Oh my god! She's down stairs! At the lobby!" Adam said.

Danny and Jo hurried to the elevators.

"Look, tell me when we first met." Mac tried to stall her.

_You were nice to me Mac you let me go first in line at the coffee shop and no one has ever done that before. No one ever notices me at all. They never do._

"I'm sure you have a love one at home, a Father? Mother?"

No…I work as a janitor in the evenings as but one notices me. They never do…just you Mac Taylor. You were the only one who's nice to me. Thanks. I…" Mac then heard a loud bang and shoutings.

"Mac…it's Danny! She's dead…she shot herself."

"Who's she?"

"Mary Lou Thibbons…She works as a janitor in here. Sorry Mac."

"It's okay." Mac said as he ended the phone call and walked into his office, Emily followed after him.

Mac turned to her and told her quietly what Danny found out about his stalker. "She's right, I've no idea who she is…was. I might have let her in front of the line on a busy day and I do that all the time, and it didn't occur to me that one simple act of kindness would affect a person that it caused them to overreact…"

"Mac, don't blame yourself for doing this. She was lonely and because you were the only who was kind to her, she latches her affection onto you."

Mac shook his head, "I wish she didn't…"

Emily reached out and held his hand, "There's nothing wrong with being kind to strangers, she just took one step too much. We had a case a few years back only it's the reverse, this guy was obsessed with this women to the point of almost ruining her lives, she moved to a different state but he managed to find her, long story short, we got him and put him away. She's now happily married, her fiancé stuck with her and helped her get over this man."

Mac looked at their joined hands and said, "Are you going to help me get over all this?" He peeked from beneath his brow.

She smiled, "If you want me to but somehow I don't think you need me to, Mac. You're a strong man, you can get through this without me."

He looked at her with concerned, "Why? Where are you going?"

Emily frowned, "Nowhere. I'm just saying you…"

He pulled her to his lap suddenly as he kissed her fully, "I told you, you talk too much Emily Prentiss." He continued to kiss her but was soon interrupted by his phone ringing.

"Never a moment's peace, "he muttered as he answered while he still had Emily pinned within his arms.

"Taylor."

_Mac, it's Don. Agent Gibson is dead. She tried to run and we had a little disagreement and she lost._

"I'll tell Emily."

Yah…see you tomorrow.

"Okay."

He pressed 'End' on his phone before he told Emily about JG.

"Well, what will the Bureau say about that, now I don't even have team."

"Yup." Mac began to nuzzle into Emily's neck.

"I guess I'll have to call Hotch and get a stack of names of agents…a lot of them."

"Hmmm…this Hotch, he's pretty personal to you?"

Emily looked at him, "Jealous?"

He looked up at her, "Should I be?"

She shook her head, "Not at all, we're just good friends."

"How good friends are you two?"

"Oh, like you and Flack."

Mac looked at her, "Don and I are pretty close, are your trying to say…?"

Emily pulled his head down to her, "Just keep doing what you're doing, Mac."

"Emily…?" He warned her.

….

End of Chapter 10


	11. Chapter 11

New York, New York! – Chapter 11

.

"My goodness Emily!" Garcia exclaimed as she eyed at her closely on the video conference at the BAU's conference room. "Did you wrestle with a bear? And lost?"

The BAU team members looked at her with concerned as well as they sat around the wide desk.

"What the heck happen to you, cara?" Dave Rossi asked her.

Emily sitting at her desk in her office in New York City, smiled as she raised her left hand to show them the brace and quickly told them all that had happened, up until last evening.

"So you lost your whole team?" Derek Morgan pointed out.

"They were trying to take me out, Derek." She argued.

"Haven't you been listening to my bruised and battered brunette?" Garcia glared at him.

Morgan returned her looks, "Back off Mamma! All I'm saying is, she's now without a team. How is she going to run a unit?"

"Gee, thanks for being concern about my well being, Derek. I'm fine by the way except that I almost got shot at, my head getting slammed into a concrete floor." Emily shook her head. "Do me a favor Hotch, don't ever send him over here ever."

"But Emily!" Derek tried to defend himself.

Emily shook her head as she held up her right palm up, "Talk to the hand." And ignored him as she looked over to Hotch.

"I'd need a stack of recommendations ASAP, Hotch. And a good computer analysis."

"How about Kevin?" Garcia chimed in. "He wanted to transfer out of here."

Emily thought for a moment and then nodded, "Have him send his resume here ASAP, Garcia."

She nodded, "Got it, firing it up his way," she began typing an email to him on her cell phone. "Done, fired up."

"He better be a clone of you PG or as close to you." Emily grinned.

"Em, you know he's good at what he does."

Emily nodded, "I'm banking on it as I've a new case coming in from my Section Chief."

"So soon?" Hotch asked with a raised brow.

Emily nodded, "This is New York City, Hotch. Never sleeps. But for now I'm utilizing the NYPD with the approval of the Bureau's chief."

Hotch nodded, "His call."

"Garcia, I still need your fingers and brains as the case is still not exactly closed."

Garcia nodded, "Let me know when, and I'll be yours, chickie."

Emily grinned, "Thanks PG and Hotch."

He nodded, "No problem Emily, anytime."

"I'll see you guys this weekend. I'm coming back Friday and get packing for good."

JJ, Reid, Rossi, and the rest waved their good bye as they had their briefings to do. Garcia returned to her lair as she settled into her computer and waited for Emily to call back.

Emily left her office and took a cab to the crime lab as Stan's computers were still there.

"Hi Adam, how's the head?" She indicated at his bandage in the back of his head.

"Oh hi Emily! Oh…that?" he pointed at his bruises as he shook his head. "It's nothing, what about you?"

She shook her head, "I'm fine, I know I look terrible but that'll fade. So, I've got my FBI analysis at Quantico right now, can you can the computers up?"

Adam nodded, "It'll take a few minutes." He began turning the systems on.

"Where's Mac?" She asked.

Adam looked at her, "I thought you knew?"

She shook her head, "He was called out early this morning so I haven't seen him since."

"Oh…I think he's still out, there's a double homicide last night…okay, here's Stan's computer."

Emily sat up and pulled her phone and called Garcia.

"Garcia, you here?"

_Of course! Up and ready, so what do I have to do?_

Emily gave Garcia a quick run-down of what happened to the money.

_Excuse me? $1.2 million? Lost? Oh no, nothing is lost in the system in my eyes. I'll fish them out for you chickie or Penelope Garcia is not my name!_

"Is it?" Emily asked her.

_Is what Em?_

"Your name?"

_Emily! You know it is! Now give me his IP address._

"Um okay…I'm going to put you on speaker and have you talk to Adam, he's NYPD crime lab tech lab and computer dude."

Okay, let me have Adam.

Emily switched her phone to speaker mode and placed it on the counter and soon Adam and Garcia began talking rapidly in computer lingo that was beyond Emily's comprehension.

"Wow, you're cool, Garcia or is that really your name?" Adam smiled ear to ear.

Garcia laughed, you wish, Adam. It's actually Penelope but everyone in the team calls me either Pen or Garcia, I don't mind as I answer to them all.

"Cool, we….should meet…or at least correspond more often…like this." Adam suggested nervously.

"Hey guys, this is work…you can PM each other later in your own phone. Go away Adam." Emily interrupted them. Adam stood up and said, "I have to go to the uh…boy's room. I'll be back." Emily waved him off without looking at him.

"Anything yet, Pen?"

_Wait, still looking, such a large amount is usually easily tracked. Oh….wait…no, he didn't !_

"What? Talk to me PG!" Emily said.

_Hang on Em, let me make sure it is him…yup it is. Okay Emily, are you sitting down? Because you need to be._

"Garcia, I swear to you if you don't tell me now, I'm going to reach into the phone and…"

_Okay, okay, here's the deal. Stanley Goldman had on the day before his death had withdrawn all his money and changed them in cashier's checks, two in half million dollars and two in one thousand dollars. There is a typed letter he signed and notarized and copied and scanned it here the original notarized letter is at a safe deposit box in a bank."_

"What's the letter says?" Emily asked.

_He confirmed that he found out during his investigation per his supervisor SSAIC Emily Prentiss that Agents Jacey Gibson, Roberto Gonzalez and Shell Honeycutt had found out his wealth and plotted to kill him. He recorded their conversations via the FBI surveillance cameras and when Shell found out, he cut off the wiring and threatened him._

"Oh my god!" Emily exclaimed. "I accused Stan of cutting off the surveillance cameras! And all this time it was those three!" Emily hung her head down.

_Okay Em,_ Garcia said, _There's more, Stan knew they had been poisoning him but it was too late so that was why he had no regrets and get this, the cashier checks, he sent them to the nearest three orphanages so there couldn't any way it could be taxed._

Emily nodded, "At least he did the right thing at the end."

Garcia nodded sadly as she took off her glasses and wiped her eyes. _I love happy sad endings._

"Those three never saw the money at all. They killed Stan for nothing." Emily said.

_Em, we found who killed him, we avenged his death. Be comforted by it, he would have thanked you and he did for giving him his second chances. And his mother and sister can now claim his insurance and it's a good one,_ Garcia grinned.

"What do you mean?"

Garcia shook her head, _Stan made sure they are comfortable for the rest of their lives," _She told her of the amount they would be receiving as beneficiaries.

Emily began laughing as well as Garcia as Emily said, "What the hell! That bastard couldn't help it! He found a way to get around to get his folks to live comfortably. Way to go Stan."

_So, you're not going to do anything?_ Garcia

"Are you?" Emily asked her.

_Hmm, the forms looked good and proper to me,_ Garcia said innocently.

"Bless you, PG."

Garcia, _Anything for you Em._

"I'll see you guys this weekend and we'll have a night out for old time's sake."

_You betcha, Pen out._ Garcia ended the call.

Emily pressed 'End' on her phone and leaned back and thought, "Stan, Stan, Stan, will you ever forgive me?"

As if answering her, Stan's computer suddenly switched to another screen and showed a video and audio of the past month of the three agents discovering Stan's financials accounts as they were going through their own files and changing their evaluations and discussing about how to kill him and obtain his money. That was why Stan had secretly asked for a replacement Unit Chief quickly.

Emily felt so guilty remembering how she had approached the unit, no, stormed into the unit and knocked the glass door down and accused Stan for all the wrong reasons, when it was the three that should be under investigations! Why couldn't he come to her at that time?

She shook her head, would she listen to him f he had? She was feeling quite biased against him at the time. What a bitch she was. Emily did not deserve to be a supervisor at all!

Look what happened to her team! They're all dead; they were all killers and the one that was innocent was murdered and she couldn't protect him!

Feeling remorseful and sad, Emily left the crime lab and took a walk the rest of the day as she contemplated her future.

Three hours later, she took a cab and found herself at Giancarlo's Mamma's Spaghetti's restaurant.

Mac was standing by the entrance waiting for her.

"Hey," she greeted him softly.

He pulled her to him as he kissed her eagerly, "Hi, I missed you all day, Agent Prentiss."

Emily smiled as she nodded, "I missed you too, Det. Taylor."

"Shall we go in?"

She peeked around him and saw Giancarlo waving at her cheerfully and she waved back.

"Why not, I'm hungry, I feel as if I've not eaten for days."

Mac shook his head as he held the door opened for her, "You're always hungry. I told you I'm going to feed you."

"That's right, I found your stalker." Emily nodded sadly.

He arched his brow, "A promise is a promise, and I told you I'll feed you the rest of your life, if you have me."

Emily wrapped one hand around his neck and kissed him deeply, "Deal. Mac Taylor. Although I expect an occasional home cook meal."

"Deal, Emily Prentiss."

"Mac! Emily! Are you two coming in?" Giancarlo called from the kitchen.

They walked arm in arm, "Yes, Carlo, you old goat," Mac said. "My girlfriend would like your famous three meatballs and spaghetti."

Giancarlo held his hands to his heart, "Mamma mia! The three meatsaballs! They're big! You many never finished it although I have seen it once before only. I wonder if you would beat it again. My dear! Two meatsaballs…and spaghettis!" he yelled as he disappeared into the kitchen.

They sat at the exact same table they did the first day they met.

"So, tell me what exciting day you had," Mac began as he held her hand.

Emily began telling him about the money and Stan's donations and the video feed.

"...as you can see I felt like a fool." Emily lowered her head down.

"Hey, I've done worse many times over," he began to tell her his past mistakes as a crime investigator.

They talked when their food came, they talked when they'd finished their dinner, and when Giancarlo, and when they left the restaurant they saw it had gotten dark.

"Ready to go home?" Mac asked her.

Emily looked up at him. "Home?" Emily smiled softly. "Yeah. I liked the sound of that."

"Then let's go." He flagged for a cab as he held her close to him. "I love you, Emily Prentiss."

Emily smiled at him, "I love you Mac Taylor." She leaned over and kissed him under New York Times Square as a yellow cab pulled over and they climbed in as they headed home.

…

THE END

….

Thank you to all for reading this story from the beginning to the end! If you'll will, please give a feed back on this story, it'll be much appreciated.

I know I'm ending it here as I wanted to continue but there don't seem to be any interest from anyone else. Reviews have been almost nonexistent, so to me it's an indicator that this story is running its course.

But I do thank to all who have been tuning in to this story every evening! I did have great fun writing it!

J.


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